Good girls - Rio's return
by VickyMc
Summary: Good Girls season 3 – approx 4 months from end of S2. Rio surprises Beth, but she has a surprise for him too.
1. Chapter 1

Beth was exhausted.

Running book club, taking care of the kids, and the ever-expanding girth of her waist was taking its toll. She could barely see her feet now. 6 months pregnant. 4 months since she shot Rio on that fateful night.

She needed the business up and running fully so she could have this damn baby and take a break. She was booked in for a c-section due to the problems she'd had with her last pregnancy and time was running out. She felt more and more like a bloated whale every day.

Annie and Ruby helped out as best they could. They were on pick up duty today. Dean had been supportive, but distant. I mean who could blame him?

She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed. _She needed a haircut. Badly._ She closed her eyes and rested her aching back against the kitchen counter.

No point sitting down yet. The cake she had promised Emma was almost cooked. She didn't dare sit down because might not be able to get back up again.

She dozed whilst waiting for the timer to ping. Rio entered her mind again. She'd been thinking about him more and more recently. She could still picture those beautiful brown eyes widen in shock as she'd shot him. _I miss him_. That was a secret she kept all to herself. Despite it all. She missed him. That sexy crooked smile, the way he used to look at her.

She kept replaying that night over and over in her mind. _Could she have done anything differently?!_ The hormones were probably getting to her. She kept seeing him everywhere recently. _Guilt_, she thought. _I killed my unborn baby's father_. She wondered if the baby would have his eyes? It hurt to think of that. She blinked back the tears.

She was three months gone by the time the pregnancy was confirmed.

She had suspected, the night she shot him, suspected that something was up, but after her last pregnancy which ended in an emergency c-section, she was told she could no longer have children. So, she thought it was just stress messing with her cycle.

The OB-gyn told her this was a one in a million-type-thing. _Just like Rio_, she thought sadly. She'd never met anyone quite like him.

She had cried herself to sleep so many nights hugging her belly and thinking of what she'd done. She even thought of adoption until she felt the first kick. Then she knew she'd fallen for this kid. Just like she'd fallen for Rio.

It wasn't the kind of love she had known with Dean... but part of her had loved him all the same. She thought back to his cold words: _it's just business. _No_. He hadn't loved her_. She was just some sadistic side project.

He'd loved manipulating her, pushing her deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole... he wanted to turn her into a killer. _Well... I guess he succeeded_, she thought darkly.

The timer pinged and Beth stirred from her reverie.

She grabbed the oven glove and bent down to open the oven. _God I must look hilarious, like a constipated elephant, _she thought.

She struggled to rise back up again, holding the tray in one hand, supporting her arched back with the other. She thought she heard a sound and froze. _What was that?!_ "Hello?" She called out. No answer. _Goddamn this baby brain_, she thought. It had turned her into an emotional, paranoid wreck.

She turned to the counter and placed the tray down. It would need to cool before decorating it.

She waddled to the fridge to grab a jar of pickles. She couldn't stop eating them.

She turned back to see a familiar face stood across the kitchen with those playful eyes and a smirk on his lips. She thought her heart would burst in her chest and dropped the pickle jar with a shriek. The jar smashed, narrowly missing her feet. She stared at him, her mouth open in shock.

_He must be a hallucination. I've finally lost it,_ she thought.

"Elisabeth" said the apparition with that familiar drawl. "You made a mess".

"You're not real" she said with a whimper, as thick tears ran down her cheeks. "I've lost my mind" she whispered.

The figure moved closer towards her. She started to shake her head, the tears streaming "no... no you can't be real..." she wailed. "I killed you... this is just... another dream..."

Rio smirked "you dream 'bout me a lot, Elisabeth?" Dumbfounded, she found herself nodding. "You sorry for whatcha did?" She nodded more emphatically. She wished this dream would let her wake up now.

"I dream of you too..." said Dream Rio, who had now reached Elizabeth, standing in front of her. He was so close she could probably reach out and touch him.

She hesitantly lifted her hand up to do just that, then dropped it again.

"No go ahead, touch me. Lessee if you can put your hand through me like I'm Patrick Swayze" he chuckled.

She looked into his eyes, wiped the tears from her cheeks and wiped her hands nervously on her thighs.

"Go ahead", he said again, giving her that smile of his. She put her hand out again and extended her arm.

She touched his chest. Right around the area she shot him. He was solid. Real.

Her other hand went to her mouth and she gasped. She tried to pull her hand from his chest.

He grabbed her hand. Held it there and in a swift movement closed the gap between them. He tilted his head and smiled, and then looked down at her swollen belly which was comically pressed against his decidedly leaner one.

"Elizabeth..." he said lazily, his eyebrows raised, playfully chastising her. He gently pushed a lock of her hair from her face. Her heart ached at the familiar gesture. "You've gotten kinda _chunky_ since I last saw you" he said teasingly.

She looked down at her belly, her mouth open, eyes wide.

"You been missing me, huh? Hitting that ice cream _hard_, huh?"

Elizabeth finally found her voice. "That's _not_ ice cream and you _know_ it" she said angrily.

"Oh, I _see_!" He said, with fake glee. "Dean must be SO proud".

Elizabeth's scowled "try again, _Rio_" she snapped.

"Oooooh you mean that big ol' bun in the oven's _mine_?" he said, feigning shock.

"You _know_ it is. It's a girl by the way. Congratulations _Daddy_" she spat.

For a split-second Rios eyes softened but the cold steel soon returned. He leant forward and whispered in her ear menacingly "you gonna tell her what you did to her papi?"

Suddenly all the emotions she had been pushing down erupted. Her face crumpled.

Rio started at her, puzzled.

She let out a primal sounding wail, hiding her face behind her hands, backing away from Rio until she felt the counter behind her. She slid towards the floor, sobbing like a child, and sat down clumsily and heavily, her legs in a V-shape in front of her.

She took a deep shuddering breath and leant her head back towards the cupboards, eyes scrunched up, continuing to wail and cry.

Rio looked shocked. This wasn't the Beth he was used to. Where was her fight? He sighed, found some tissue and hunched down to her level and handed her it. "What am I gonna to do with you, Elizabeth" he said softly.

Elizabeth took the tissue and blew her nose noisily, her red eyes glaring at him, a mixture of sulk and resignation. "Well... whatever it is, you better do it down here because I am _not_ getting up again" she said with a pout.

Rio threw his head back and laughed, a genuine, spontaneous laugh. She found herself laughing along. The laughter died down and an awkwardness settled upon them. The moment was lost.

Beth eyed him suspiciously. She couldn't trust him. She knew that. She wished so deeply she could.

He got up and moved round to sit down next to her, his back against the cupboard. He turned to look at her.

She looked back at him earnestly "you know I _am_ actually sorry... and I _have_ missed you" she said, her voice breaking slightly.

He took a deep breath "you know, I actually believe you" said Rio and moved his hand towards her face to do that thing with her hair again. It always sent shivers down her spine.

"I must need my head examining" she said with a croak.

He nodded. "Me too" he said. His words seemed to suggest he'd missed her too, but she didn't want to get caught up in a school girl fantasy where she tricked herself into believing he cared for her again.

The silence between them weighed heavy as they continued looking at each other, that familiar chemistry back in full swing.

Beth reached out and hesitantly put her hand on his chest, where she had seen the bullets rip him apart. Tears started forming in her eyes again.

He sat very still, barely breathing. He looked down at her hand, then her belly for a few seconds. His gaze then made the journey up her body to her face. Beth found herself nearly hyperventilating, feeling aroused and scared all at once.

Suddenly Rios phone beeped "I gotta go" he said. "My new boss keeps me onna tight leash" he said with a twinkle in his eye. "He wouldn't be too pleased if he knew I was here".

_New boss?!_ Thought Beth. _Oh great. Probably some mafia dude with a contract on my head, sending Rio to case the joint._

Rio leapt up off the floor with ease as Beth gave him a look steeped in exhaustion. _I wish I could do that_, she thought wistfully. She looked up at him incredulously as he started to walk off "you not going to help me out here?!"

He turned around and gave her a look that made her blush. "Nah mama, sorry I ain't got the time. Don't get me wrong you got that...umm...glow..." he said, with a look that gave her goosebumps, "and I gotta say, pregnancy has brought out the best of your... er... _assets_, he said, tilting his head in appreciation. "But I gotta go, else bossman will come looking" he said with a flirty wink.

He disappeared from view, but she heard him call "I _will_ be seeing you Elizabeth" as he headed out the back door.

"I meant help me up off the FLOOR" she called out to the empty kitchen. Next to her was a pickle, unscathed from its pickle jar accident. She picked it up, eyeballed it for any fluff and then popped it in her mouth.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - thanks for the feedback - hope you like this next chapter!

Beth was still sat on the floor about 20 minutes later when Ruby and Annie arrived back with the kids. "Beth!" Cried Annie, "Are you okay?!"

Beth looked up and sighed, she could feel the tiredness aching throughout her whole body. "Yeaaah" she said. "I'm just tired".

"Girl what you _doin'_ on the floor?!" cried Ruby.

"Oh, watch out", said Beth, "there's broken glass"

"I'm on it" said Annie. "Kids stay back, okay".

Ruby crouched beside Beth and spoke in a low voice so as not to alarm the kids "You okay? Do I need to get you to a hospital?"

"No…" said Beth. All the crying had exhausted her and the shock of seeing Rio made her feel strangely numb. Ruby threw a concerned glance over at Annie who shrugged her shoulders and continued clearing up the mess.

"Shall I help you up?", offered Ruby, in a voice one might use on someone in a psych-ward.

"Yes please" said Beth emphatically. "I tried a couple of times but then I just… gave up. I figured you'd be back soon." With an almighty heave, Ruby pulled her up.

Beth hissed and yelped "OW my ass has gone numb!"

Ruby chuckled, "how long you been sat there for?!"

Beth shrugged "I dunno, half an hour maybe"

"And just what in the name of pickles were you _doin'_, girl?!" said Ruby, rolling her eyes.

Beth drifted off and thought of Rio, the intensity of his gaze, the familiar way he touched her hair... she looked at Ruby and opened her mouth to answer, but hesitated. _No one would believe her. The crazy pregnant lady made it up, that's what they'll say..._

"Umm..." she began, "I went to open a jar of pickles and I dropped it... and it was just… too much, you know" Beth said tearfully.

Ruby nodded solemnly. She remembered her own pregnancies only too well.

"So..." Beth continued... "I saw one of the pickles had rolled off and it didn't have any crap on it, so I bent down, picked it up, and... ate it". As she told the story she saw Annie's and Ruby's faces contorting with disgust. _All the best lies have a grain of truth in them_, she thought. "So, I just... sat there, feeling sorry for myself... and I couldn't get up"

Ruby gave her shoulders a squeeze. "Aw, honey..." she said, "we've all been there... remember when Stan threw out those egg rolls and I fished them out the trash and shoved them down my cakehole?" Beth chuckled, nodding. Annie made a puking gesture.

"Come on honey you get up to bed and have a nap. You look _exhausted_, girl" said Ruby in a decisive tone.

"But I -", began Beth in protest.

"No arguments, pickle lady" said Annie firmly, "we'll order some pizza or something... "

Beth waddled up the stairs, secretly relieved. She was tired and wanted to be alone. She climbed onto the bed and drifted off into an intense dream about Rio. Except this time, it wasn't a nightmare.

Three days went by and she'd heard nothing from Rio. She'd convinced herself she'd actually imagined it. _Maybe I had a mini-stroke and didn't realise it?_ she thought. Then she made herself cry googling mini-strokes.

The days rolled on and she kept herself busy, working on the business whilst grabbing as many pregnancy naps as possible.

They'd started several smaller businesses following an intense period of laundering, to keep a low profile. One of which was a very wholesome-looking deluxe gift basket company, and they were selling like literal hotcakes.

Turns out they were a perfect gift for employees, grandmas, your neighbor, the postman… everyone loved them. They bought the goods with Beth's counterfeit bills with a small team of pickers working on them. It was a slower turnaround than the Costco scam but much lower risk. She was on target to start running the business 100% legitimately over the next 6 months or so.

Beth had banned herself from google but had managed to narrow it down to either a mini-stroke, or a psychotic break. She'd convinced herself Rio wasn't real, yet still felt on edge, half expecting him to turn up. She kept seeing him out of the corner of her eye, at the grocery store or the gas station. But it was never Rio. She felt a mixture of relief and disappointment.

A week later, she received a large bouquet of lilies. Her favourite flower. _Could it be Dean?_ she thought, puzzled. But the little envelope didn't say Beth. It said _Elizabeth_.

Beth felt faint, _this isn't happening_, she thought. She sat down. Staring at the card. Afraid to open it. Finally, after what felt like an age, she did. She felt the baby kick as she lifted the card out and wondered cynically whether the baby knew it was from her daddy.

The card read: _Elizabeth. We need to talk. Go to Wally's convenient store at 11pm tomorrow night. Ask to speak with the manager about a complaint. See you soon_.

She took a deep breath. _So, I'm not crazy_, she thought. But she wasn't so sure sanity was the better option here.

She managed to persuade Dean to switch days with her, so she could have the evening to herself. She spent about an hour trying on one unflattering pregnancy outfit after another. Every one of them made her feel like a beached whale.

Finally, she picked a blue one that at least worked with her eyes. _What am I doing?! Why do I even care? _She knew the answer to that of course. _Damn I could do with a glass of wine right about now,_ she thought. She settled for some pickles and antacid tablets instead.

She did her hair and make-up. Then she thought, _fuck it, I don't want him thinking I've made an effort just for him!_ She proceeded to wash her face and tousle her hair in a spontaneous act of rebellion.

Ten minutes later she redid her hair and make-up, hating herself for it.

The time seemed to drag. All she wanted to do was to get this over with.

Finally, it was time to leave. She made her way to the convenience store and entered, but couldn't escape the feeling of mounting trepidation. _What am I _doing_?!_, she thought._ What if this was a trap?! _She figured she didn't have much choice. She couldn't hide from Rio. If he wanted to hurt her, he'd find a way.

She wondered not for the first time, if she should have told the others she was meeting him. For some reason, she didn't want to. She didn't want to worry them of course, but suspected the real reason was that they would have tried to stop her. She didn't want to be stopped. She wanted to see him again.

Things were never straight forward between her and Rio, she thought. She wanted to see him but was equally terrified of the prospect. _I suppose that's what makes it so exciting._

She approached the checkout desk. _Here goes nothing, _she thought. The dude behind the counter sat flicking through a girly mag, grinning like a creep. She cleared her throat to get his attention and gave him a sickly-sweet smile.

He almost jumped out of his skin and stashed the magazine behind the counter. "Good evening", Beth said in her most polite voice, "I need to speak with your manager – about a complaint".

The guy nodded, understanding dawning. "Come this way", he said. He opened the counter and let her through. After a few comical moments of him trying to navigate himself around her swollen belly, he led the way through the cool storage area to a smaller room in the back.

Almost invisible to the eye, there was another door at the back, painted the same colour - and flush with the wall. He opened it with an old-fashioned key and it pulled inwards with a audible creak, revealing some dingy-looking stairs.

_Jesus Christ where is this guy taking me?! Plus, I am _not_ built for stairs right now! _She clung to the railing, scared of falling and took easily three times longer than the clerk, who stood waiting patiently at the bottom.

Luckily, it was only two flights of stairs, but in her condition that was more than enough. They arrived downstairs onto a narrow corridor, which led off into a large room to the right, and to the left branched off into 3-4 smaller rooms.

People were milling about, busy working away. She couldn't work out exactly what they were working on but yeah, it looked suspicious alright - like it had Rio's fingerprints all over it. _Just how big was this place anyway?!_ she thought.

They walked past the rooms and finally arrived at a small office at the end of the corridor. The clerk gave the door a little knock and she heard Rio's voice beckoning them to come in. The door opened and there he was, sat at a table over a laptop, armed with a glass of bourbon.

Beth took in the scene before her. Rio at his desk, with that cocky grin of his, behind him, a large cabinet. To the right was a large combination safe. Rio was watching her, watching her scan the room, his eyes dancing with mischief. The clerk ushered Beth through the door.

"Elizabeth" Rio said, grinning like a crocodile, "how nice to see you again, you look positively _radiant_". Beth felt very uncomfortable and flustered. "Please…" he said, "sit down" he motioned to a chair opposite him.


	3. Chapter 3

Thanks for all the feedback - I may not have internet over the next week but here's chapter 3. Hope you like it!

Chapter 3

Beth gave Rio a disapproving glare. "_Actually_," she said, tapping her foot, suddenly feeling livid, "seen as you just made a _pregnant woman_ \- about to enter her _third trimester_ \- walk down a whole bunch of stairs, I think I'll need to use your restroom first. I mean… who _does_ that?!"

Rio's grin seemed to broaden at this, which only served to further enrage Beth. She gave him a face like thunder and he had the decency to rearrange his features into a more solemn expression.

"I'm very sorry 'bout that Elizabeth. Of course, you can use the restroom. I'm warning you though, it ain't pretty"

"Just lead the way" she muttered through clenched teeth.

He was right, it wasn't pretty. The smell was _dis_-gust-ing and the toilet seat was loose. She returned to the little room, thinking _I'm going to need a long shower to wash this place off of me_, drenching her hands with antibacterial gel. She attempted to sit down gracefully, failing miserably.

"You need a hand?" Rio asked, sounding almost sincere.

"I'm _fine_" she spat, "now tell me what you want so I can crawl back up the stairs and out of this hellhole"

Rio gave her that disarming smile, causing her to blush again, _damn it I just can't help myself!_ she thought, raging internally.

"You don't like it? It's an old speakeasy, a _lotta_ history went down here…" He could tell Beth wasn't up for a history lesson by the scowl on her face. He made a _nevermind_ kind of hand gesture, and swiftly changed the subject. "So, you tell anyone where you were goin' tonight?", he asked casually.

Beth's eyes narrowed. "No…" she said, feeling like she maybe should have lied and said yes… _perhaps this was a trap after all_.

"What? Not even the other two mouseketeers?" Rio smiled playfully.

"No" replied Elizabeth, sitting up a little straighter, trying to look in control and wondering whether there was any cell phone coverage in this dungeon.

He clicked his tongue and gave her a look that could melt a glacier. "I bet you didn't even tell them you saw me, did you _Elizabeth_?

_He knows me too well_,thought Beth, suddenly feeling a hot flush – pregnancy or just the Rio effect? Maybe both.

He leaned back, hand rubbing his chin as if in deep thought, and said "yeah, they'd probably just think you a crazy pregnant lady, right?"

Beth looked up at the ceiling, starting to feel annoyed as Rio chuckled at her.

Suddenly he got up and walked the couple of steps to the cabinet behind him, his back to her. "I got you somethin'", Rio said. Beth stiffened and hoped this gift didn't turn out to be a gun.

He bent down, opened the cupboard and turned around holding the largest pickle jar she'd ever seen with a massive bow around it.

She wondered if he could see the relief flood her face. She hoped not. Knowing Rio, he probably had.

"Thank you" she said, stiffly. All in all, it was a nice gesture, but there'd better be a better reason he dragged her pregnant ass down here at 11pm on a Friday night.

"Now, what is it you want!? I thought I'd _imagined_ you in my kitchen, yet here you are _King of the fucking Pickles!_"

Rio sat down, took a deep breath and stared at her, eyes narrowing, sizing her up. Beth started to feel really uncomfortable, his eyes were on her like a tractor beam, drawing her in. She was just about to break the silence, when he asked, "Did you know?"

"What?!" she snapped, feeling confused.

"When you shot me. Did. You. Know?" he asked dangerously and leaned forward, staring pointedly at her belly.

"No! No, of course not!" she said indignantly. "Well, I was _late,_ but I thought that was just… stress… the doctor told me I couldn't have any more children so that was the _last_ thing on my mind… Apparently the odds of this happening were like - a _million to one_, or something".

He nodded and smiled a little "Okay" he said.

"_Okay_… "she replied with emphasis, hoping that had settled the matter.

He then chuckled, looking quite impressed with himself. "I mean, current circumstances not being ideal and whatnot – I'm pretty impressed with myself on _that_ score"

Beth's eyes narrowed. _Typical man, _she thought. "Yes, thank you, I was there _too_, you know" she scoffed.

He tilted his head, his mind clearly taking a trip down memory lane. "Yeah… ", he said and smiled his sexy crooked smile, his eyes wandering down her body "you were…"

Beth felt like she was naked before him, _damn him he knows how to get under my skin,_ she thought.

"So, ummm…. When would this have been, then Elisabeth?" he asked with faux modesty.

"Errr…." she said, feeling flustered, "well, date-wise it would have been when…" she cleared he throat, feeling suddenly awkward and shy, "when we went back to mine… you know, that afternoon"

"Mmmm" he replied. Only he could make that noise sound so obscene. "Yeah I remember" he said, licking his lips. "That was _some_ afternoon… I mean… we just went at it for _hours_"

Beth rolled her eyes at this and thought _is this why he brought me here for Chrissakes?"_

"Hey, don't be rolling them baby blues at me", he said, smiling, "I honestly enjoyed that last afternoon we had together… I mean, I had _no idea_ what you were planning… had you been thinking about that for a while, Elizabeth? Us together, in your bed? I tell you it was a nice surprise when you took me upstairs… looks like the surprises didn't end there" he said eyeing her belly and clicking his tongue.

"Are you _quite_ finished?", she asked in a withering tone, yet she felt like her face was on fire. "I'd like to take my pickles and go home now"

"Oh, you got someone waiting there for you?" said Rio in a less than friendly tone, his face suddenly deadly serious. "Nah", he continued, "that was just small talk… We need to talk about _Agent Turner_"

Beth felt like she'd been slapped. She had hoped to never hear that name again. She hadn't seen or heard from him since that day he turned up at her kitchen, announcing he was going on a long vacation. "What do you mean?" she asked, color draining from her face

"Well… who d'ya think called 911 and saved my sorry ass?" said Rio, with a ruthless smile, shoulders shrugging.

"He… told me you were dead" Beth replied, feeling faint.

"Nah, he saved my ass, as long as he got something in return… turns out he still got a hard-on for _you_, Boss Bitch".

Beth closed her eyes and tried to remain calm. _What did this mean_?! she thought.

"So, FBI is my new boss, I'm their bitch now, see?" Rio sounded bitter.

"But… but all this?!" she exclaimed, "do they know about all this?!"

"They know what I _want_ them to know" said Rio, cryptically. Beth took a deep breath. "You okay mama? asked Rio. You lookin' kinda pale. Even for you".

"Do they know… about me?" asked Beth, feeling desperation creeping in. "I've… I've been so careful"

"He knows you up to _somethin'_", replied Rio, "but no details. Yet."

Beth nodded solemnly. "It's just been… so expensive. I have a plan, I'm going to quit, go completely legit… but the pregnancy… It's slowed me down. I'm considered high risk so there's lots of extra scans and… I have to have a c-section at 8 months…", she trailed off under the weight of Rio's gaze.

She wished he would stop looking at her like that or she might burst into tears. Yes, the pregnancy had been difficult, but she was going to be okay… _unless I have to have my baby in prison chained to a bed, _she thought. She looked down and took a deep shuddering breath, keeping the tears at bay, cradling her stomach.

She didn't hear him move, but suddenly Rio appeared next to her chair. He took her hand and held it. Beth's eyes welled up. He looked at her belly, at his child within. Beth looked at him, could sense his hesitation, so she took his hand and placed it firmly on her belly.

"She's been kicking up a storm in there ever since I got here" she smiled, brushing an errant tear from her face. Rio's features softened as he felt her hard stomach and was rewarded with a kick.

"Whoa!" he cried. Beth started laughing – actually, it was a strange mixture between crying and laughing. Rio joined in and another kick followed shortly.

"Is that a – ", he started.

"Yeah" interrupted Beth "I think that's her foot".

Rio smiled warmly and looked genuinely happy. Beth looked at his face and wished she could kiss him. It was such a lovely moment they shared, any normal couple would have hugged and kissed each other. She looked away, saddened by this thought.

"Hey", said Rio softly and tucked her hair behind her ear "what's wrong?"

"What's _wrong?!_" she cried, her head snapping back to look at him, "this should be a beautiful moment… but guess what?! You're a gangbanger turned snitch and I'm the hustling criminal who shot you three times in the chest and I'm probably going to have to give birth chained to a prison bed!"

Rio blinked at this sudden outburst and then said with a few moment's hesitation "hey… nobody's perfect…"

There was total silence for about five seconds, when suddenly Beth started laughing hysterically - the kind that can easily turn into tears.

Rio laughed along but after a few seconds cupped her face and looked her straight in the eyes. "Stop worryin'" he said, kissing her gently on her forehead.

Beth closed her eyes _god I missed him,_ she thought. She could smell his cologne, the soft hint of bourbon, but mainly – just him. She felt embarrassed as she remembered sniffing the pillows before she changed the bedding that afternoon. No one smelt quite like him.

She opened her eyes, his warm, dry lips were still on her forehead. She stared at that sexy tattoo on his throat. She wished she could kiss him there, start there and work her way down.

She took a deep breath and became aware that she was weeping again. Rio pulled back and looked at her with a concerned expression on his face.

"I do this all the time" she sobbed, gesturing at her face and then sighed heavily.

"Come on", Rio said, "let's get you home". He helped her up the stairs, carrying her pickles for her, and walked her out to her car.

"See you soon?" she asked, as she eased herself into the car.

He nodded, looking serious for once. "I'll try, but I'm being watched closely"

She nodded in understanding, then suddenly exclaimed "Oh! I almost forgot". She rummaged in her handbag and took out a scan picture and handed it over. "It's from last week…" she said "I have lots of them at home, so…"

She had never quite seen Rio's face like that before. "Thanks" he muttered, gazing at the photo. The baby's head was so clear, with a button nose.

"They asked me if I wanted a 3D one" she said "but I prefer the old-fashioned ones… makes for a better surprise" she smiled.

"Um… yeah…" Rio said, distantly, his eyes still glued to the scan photo.

"Okay… bye Rio" she said softly.

He looked up, his eyes a little misted over. "Yeah, goodbye Elizabeth, see you soon".

She drove off feeling inexplicably happy. The reason she brought the scan picture had been far from altruistic. She'd planned to use it to extract sympathy in case she got into a tricky situation. She arrived home and went to bed, dreaming of their last afternoon together.


	4. Chapter 4

OK here comes chapter 4... Hope you like it

Rio watched Beth drive off and sighed heavily. He returned to his office in the basement below the convenient store and poured himself a large drink.

He sat down heavily in his chair, propping the scan picture against the bourbon bottle. He couldn't take his eyes off the small shape on the image.

He drained his drink, holding the empty glass in his hand, his face clouding with a mounting rage. Suddenly he stood up and screamed "fuck!" throwing the glass against the door. He sat back down, leant forward on the desk, head in his hands.

Elizabeth always had this effect on him. He could have the simplest of tasks, the clearest of objectives, yet he always got turned around, finding himself doing something completely unexpected. And afterwards, he'd awake from some sort of haze-like state, wondering what the fuck had just happened.

A knock came at the door, it was Dags. "You 'kay, boss?"

"Umm… yeah" said Rio, "dropped a glass", he said, sullenly, gesturing towards the general direction of the shattered glass on the floor. Dags glanced behind the door, clearly working out what had happened. "I'll clean up". You got a phone call from the boss", he said, passing him a cell phone.

Rio sighed and accepted the burner phone from Dags. "Thanks, just… leave the glass for now".

"Sure thing, Boss" he said and left.

"Yo" said Rio, placing the phone to his hear. "Nah, I've been busy with the Mendoza case you wanted me on"

Rio fell silent, listening to the instructions coming through on the phone, rolling his eyes in contempt.

"Um… yeah, like I said I'll get 'round to it. Things should ease up in about a week or so. What's the rush? She ain't goin' nowhere"

Rio picked up the scan, leaning back in his chair as the caller continued his part of the conversation, making only the odd affirmatory noise. After a long silence, Rio put the photo down again, rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed heavily.

"Yes, boss, I know Boss. I will initiate contact as soon as possible". And with that he hung up the phone. Shortly after, it met the same fate as the glass, thrown in a fit of rage at the door.

Rio had bought himself a little time, but if he wanted to help Elizabeth and his unborn kid, he needed to come up with a plan. Fast.

Elizabeth woke up the next day, a smile on her face. Her first thought was of Rio. She couldn't believe he was back again.

She felt wary of course, she never wanted to be in a position where he could manipulate her again, but she was so pleased she no longer had to live with the burden of being a murderer – of her baby's father, no less.

She got up and ambled awkwardly down the stairs to make some decaf coffee. Half way down she froze. She could smell cooking. Was it Dean and the kids? Or the girls? As far as she knew the kids were away until this evening. She had the whole day to herself.

She wondered if it was just her crazy baby brain imagining it. She wrapped her robe righter around her, trying to shrug off the paranoia. She took another step and then heard a noise. She gasped and held her hand over her mouth.

A few moments later she called out "Is someone here?! I have a gun and I'm not afraid to use it!"

"Don't I know it" came a reply from the kitchen.

Suddenly Rio wandered into view at the foot of the stairs.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't shoot me again, Elizabeth" he said, his eyes twinkling

"What the-?! What are you _doing_ here?!" she cried. "I locked all the doors. I know I did!"

"Elizabeth" he smiled. "You know if I wanna get in somewhere, I get in. Now we got more to discuss so I thought I'd make my baby mama some breakfast." He tilted his head and gave her a warm smile.

Beth felt like she was blushing from head to toe. _Baby mama_, she thought. If anyone else had called her that she would've punched them. Yet somehow the way Rio said it, made her feel special. _God I'm such a pushover_ she thought.

"I'll just throw something on" she muttered and made her way back up the stairs. "There'd better be coffee" she called down. Rio laughed and made his way back into the kitchen.

Beth sighed at the swollen form staring back at her in the mirror. She put some tracksuit bottoms on and one of Dean's old hoodies. Why should she make an effort?

Besides, the more hideous she felt, the less chance perhaps of something happening between them. She gathered her hair together and pulled it back in a tight ponytail. No errant strands near her face. _He can't try that move on me now_, she thought smugly.

Her transformation complete, she looked at image and thought _I look Charlize Theron in that serial killer movie_, feeling both horrified and impressed.

"You okay?" said Rio, who suddenly appeared leaning and grinning in the doorway.

_How long has he been watching me?!_ she thought, mortified.

"I'm _fine_" she replied, feeling tetchy.

He tilted his head and walked in to her bedroom, he glanced at her bed and then at her. She blushed. She could tell by that look what he was thinking of. _Why couldn't he just stay downstairs?!_ she thought irritably.

He walked up behind her and looked at her in the mirror. "You rockin' that trailer park chic pretty damn good" he said with a cheeky grin. She turned around, angry at him – no wait – more like she angry at herself for letting him get under her skin. But he didn't need to know that.

"What are you _doing_ here, Rio. Why are you _here?! _What do you want from me?!

He looked her in the eyes, that dead calm he could always project. She wondered what he was actually feeling under that calm exterior.

"Turner wants me to take you down" he said in a deadpan voice.

Beth's eyes widened. _Oh my god!_ she thought. She felt dizzy and sick. She pushed past him and rushed to the toilet and threw up.

About ten minutes later she was sat downstairs in the kitchen cradling a cup of coffee in her hands. She looked disheveled and pale. The tightly tied back hair was a coming loose in every possible direction. Rio put a plate of food in front of her, he'd made Mexican breakfast mollettes. She was suddenly ravenous.

She started shoveling the food in her mouth, not even coming up for air. Rio sat watching her with a smirk on his lips. She swallowed the massive bulk of food in her mouth, reached for a napkin and dabbed her lips delicately.

"Damn woman, you hungry" he chuckled and sat adjacent her, at the corner of the table.

"Thank you for breakfast" she said demurely, trying to stifle a burp.

"De nada" replied Rio with a smile. "you want some more?"

Beth shook her head. "Tell me about Turner" she replied.

Rio sat down next to her and began telling his story. He took her back to that fateful night, when Turner had offered to save his life. Rio had agreed to Turner's demands, "hell I would've agreed to anything" he said, staring into his coffee cup. Beth felt a twinge of remorse and looked away.

"He called 911, got me in hospital… stayed there for a good few months. They fixed me up real good though" he said, seeing Beth's anguished face. "I'd almost forgotten 'bout Turner… then one day he shows up at the hospital. Starts askin' loadsa questions, about you, 'bout the business, 'bout us… About what'll happen to me if I don't cooperate…"

Beth fidgeted in her chair. She felt sick. This was it. She was going to prison.

"And you gotta know, Elizabeth… I was mad at hell at you for what you did… Shocked the crap outta me, too. I thought I had you all figured out"

Beth had been expecting this. The time had come to have it out. _He thinks he has me all figured out?! Fuck you, Rio. _She flew into a rage and decided to give him a piece of her mind.

"You put me in an _impossible_ situation, Rio. You fucking _kidnapped_ me and ordered me to kill someone. I won't be manipulated like that. I'm not your puppet. You _do not _control me. I am good at this… _really _good at this stuff. But I _won't _hurt people!"

"People get hurt all the time… whether you mean to or not… It's just life, Elizabeth" said Rio, with a casual shrug.

"Not like that. _Not_ like that, Rio. I won't do it. Even if Turner came after me right now, I wouldn't shoot him. I couldn't. You got off on me being a naïve little housewife, you got off on trying to corrupt me, trying to push me closer and closer to the edge! But I won't become like you!"

Rio lifted his head, looking down at her "you think you know what it means to be _me_?! You ain't got a clue. You want it all, but you don't wanna get your hands dirty. Some of us ain't so lucky. You're a spoilt little white girl who got _bored_ and thought she try hooking up with a gangsta just to scratch an itch – now I didn't mind scratching it, don't get me wrong, but let's get real here"

Beth suddenly found herself standing, giving Rio a full slap across the face. She looked down at him, eyes alight with fury.

He put his hand to his mouth, where he took the brunt of the slap. A smear of blood appeared on his fingers. He looked up at her, mockingly. "Damn that was a good slap Elizabeth. Hey, I thought you didn't hurt people – maybe you just like hurting _me"_

Beth's face contorted in horror, rage subsiding. "Oh my god… Oh my _god_ what have I done?!" she cried. Her hands went to her face. "Wait…" she said and waddled off. She went to the freezer and returned with an ice pack.

She approached Rio with it and grabbed a chair to sit closer to him, gently tilting his head. She delicately pressed the ice pack against his lip. He gave her an intense gaze, she looked at the floor, feeling ashamed.

"You're right" she said in a small voice. "you're absolutely right. That's why I got so mad. Because you're right. I walk around, thinking that I'm _better_ than you… but I'm not. I'm not so different. "I _was_ bored… meeting you, it made me feel _alive_ again… the excitement of it all, it was like I was addicted. God I'm such a fucking hypocrite… and a _terrible_ person…" the last words resulted in a sob.

Rio looked at her, took her hand, taking the ice pack gently from her and said "S'Ok Elizabeth… I got this".

Beth nodded mutely and sat back, feeling drained. "I don't know what it is about you, but you drive me _crazy_… It's like you bring out the worst in me… I feel like a freaking bunny boiler".

Rio looked up at the ceiling and then back at her, "You were right too", he conceded. "Turner was a mistake, a step too far. I knew he wouldn't stop coming for you… and I wanted you to end it. Shoulda known you wouldn't cross that line."

Beth gave him a tearful smile and asked the question she had been afraid to ask, "Do you forgive me?"

Rio took a deep breath and looked straight in her eyes, shaking his head he said "You know, I shouldn't – if anyone else had done that they'd be dead by now. Let's just say you drive me crazy too…"

Beth chuckled "was that a _yes?_"

Rio leaned in close to her, lifting a wayward lock of hair. "Yes" he said and continued in voice that made her shiver "but you don't cross me like that again, ya hear me Elizabeth. We need to face Turner, head on. No more games."

Beth found herself nodding "Yes. No more games."

Her face was very close to his now, she could feel his breath gently on her face. _God he's beautiful _she thought. She needed to move away, this was getting too intense, but she couldn't stop looking at him, at his eyes, his lips.

"How- How's the lip?" she asked cautiously.

He flicked his tongue out, gently probing it "I'll live" he replied, not taking his eyes off her.

Beth could barely breathe. She could feel her face reddening. "I should… I should clear these plates away…" she mumbled, readying herself to get up.

Rio reached out, placing a hand on her knee to stop her from getting up. She looked down at his hand and then back at his face. He leaned in and gave her a gentle kiss on the lips.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Thanks everyone for your feedback! Please don't hesitate to drop me a line with any comments – good or bad I'm here to learn!

Beth kissed Rio back and the world fell away around them. They kissed for what felt like an age, tasting each other, making up for lost time. She loved the way he kissed her, rough and gentle all rolled into one.

_God what the hell am I doing _she thought. She pulled away and looked at him, then looked down at the floor, their foreheads met affectionately. "What are we doing, Rio? I thought we said no more games?"

Rio tilted his head back slightly, and took a good look at her, his eyes smoldering. "Do I look like I'm playin' Elizabeth?" he said. Beth sighed, _fuck it_ she thought and moved in for another kiss.

Things were getting hot and heavy, she started unbuttoning his shirt, he slid his warm, strong hands under her hoodie, caressing her back and attempting to unclasp her bra.

Suddenly a loud shriek pierced the silence, followed by a deadpan "Aw _heeeeell _no". Beth and Rio looked up, shocked. Ruby and Annie were stood watching them, mouths agape, eyes wide.

"Doesn't _anyone _know how to use a doorbell anymore?" cried Beth irritably.

Soon after, Beth and Rio were sat on the sofa, looking like two shamefaced teenagers who got caught by their parents. Ruby and Annie were pacing back and forth. Rio cast a glance at Beth who couldn't help but giggle. Rio snorted as he tried to stifle a laugh.

"Oh! _Oh!_ You think this is _funny_?!" yelled Annie, clearly agitated. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot as she glared at one and then the other. "Yo, Rubes they think this is _funny!"_

Ruby looked at Rio, and then at Beth. Arms crossed, she let out a disapproving _Mmm-mmm-mmm_ noise, shaking her head.

Rio covered his mouth, trying to hide a playful grin but his whole body was shaking as he attempted to stop laughing. Beth gave him a nudge "shhhh" she said. "Look, ladies, I'm sorry. But y'all just giving off that whole angry mom vibe right now and it's kinda funny" Rio grinned from ear to ear.

Annie eyes narrowed and looked at Beth, "you agree, _Elizabeth?_"

"No… I mean yes, it's _a little_ funny, but I understand this must be a huge shock to you both. It was to me too."

Ruby glared at Beth "how long have you known?"

"About… a _week…_ or so?" replied Beth, cringing.

Both women erupted in a cacophony of shouting:

"A week?! A whole _fucking_ _week?!"_

"_Girl_ what is _wrong_ with you?!"

"How could you lie to us like this?!"

"What were you _thinking?!"_

"You're as crazy as he is!"

"Shut uuuup!" Beth had stood up and yelled at the top of her lungs. Finally, silence filled the room. "I'm sorry. I'm _sorry" _she continued, emphatically. "When I first saw him, I thought I'd imagined it. I thought I'd had a… a stroke or something. Please. Sit down so we can _talk. Please?"_

Ruby harrumphed and sat down on the sofa opposite. Annie scowled at Rio but also sat down.

"Agent Turner told me Rio was dead. Agent Turner _lied_. He's the one who saved him", Beth explained.

Ruby and Annie looked at each other, shock and worry painted on their faces.

"What does this _mean_?" asked Annie, anxiously, staring at Beth and then Rio.

"That's why Rio came over… to talk to me about it" replied Beth.

"Mmmm-hmmmm", said Ruby, eyeing Rio suspiciously, "_talking_ – is that what they call it now? You guys have _no_ self-control", she tutted.

Rio chuckled "hey don't blame me, she's got that whole mama glow thing goin' on… it's _hot_"

Beth blushed like a school girl.

You're a _pig _in pants!" Annie blurted out. She then gave Beth a funny look, narrowing her eyes and gesturing her head towards the kitchen.

"What?" asked Beth, puzzled, thinking. _I am not getting up off this sofa just to gossip in the kitchen_.

Annie rolled her eyes "You told him?!" cried Annie

"What?" asked Beth

"That the baby is _his?" _hissed Annie, jabbing her finger in Rio's direction.

"Well- I can hardly lie about that!" spluttered Beth, looking shocked. "Besides once the baby is born it might be _kinda obvious"_, she said, rolling her eyes.

Ruby took a deep breath and closed her eyes in despair. "Enough. Tell us about Agent Turner".

Rio explained how Agent Turner had recruited him as part of a new undercover team to root out organized crime, focusing on Rio's former turf in Michigan. He had a solid cover story for his recent absence and went back to work on some of his regular business dealings.

The feds had set him up with some capital to maintain cover. Rio being Rio, managed to hold some of that back, for deals he did on the side, unbeknownst to the feds. He targeted rival crews with insider info, set them up, then Turner would scoop in and arrest them. But each arrest allowed Rio to slowly scrape back more of his territory.

"'Bout a month ago, Turner starts talkin' 'bout you again, Elizabeth. Wants me to make an appearance… um… rekindle our arrangement."

Beth raised her eyebrows at the potential double-meaning behind this statement.

"He wants to take you down, Elizabeth… I think he's gunning for a big promotion and you're his unfinished business."

The ladies sat in silence for several minutes, stunned.

"OK. What do we do?" asked Ruby finally. "Rio, you always have a plan"

Rio raised an eyebrow and sat back, managing to look both smug and in complete control of the room.

"I dunno. Turner's smart. And he's focused. Y'all been living the high life, you forgot 'bout him but he did _not_ forget 'bout you. You made him look foolish. He ain't about to let that go. He wants that score settled."

"So… _do_ you have a plan?" asked Beth.

Rio looked at Beth, and then the other two. "I may have an idea… but you guys need to get one thing straight. None of this messin' around, changing the rules, doin' your own thing, okay? You guys pull that shit all the time and I'm tellin' you I ain't going down for you again. If you pull any of your shit, I am _done_. I will let Turner have your asses"

The women looked at each other, taking it all in.

Rio chuckled "You see, I can see all your cogs turnin' right now… you thinking you be able to outsmart me, pull a fast one, get me out the way… I'm tellin' you right now to put that out your head. If you want a chance of getting' ahead of Turner, you need to trust me and stop fuckin' about"

Beth looked at Rio and gave him a crooked grin "you told me to _never_ trust you…"

"That was before, Elizabeth. We have a common enemy now. We gotta stop with these games. There's too much at stake here…" he glanced pointedly at her swollen belly. Beth instinctively cradled it, _he's right_, she thought.

Rio turned to the others "and you two… you got a helluva lot to lose too… Your man got his job back? Your kid ain't sick no more? If you go down, you could lose all that" he nodded to Ruby. "And you…" he shot Annie a dangerous glance, "you don't wanna lose your kid, do you? You wanna tell him he's cut off from his meds?" Annie shook her head and stared at the floor.

"Besides…" said Rio with a grin he knew would rile Annie, "we practically _family_ now, sis" Annie rolled her eyes and made a scoffing noise but didn't argue with him.

Silence fell on the room, indicating some sort of truce had been met. "So, is everyone on the same page?" asked Beth, suddenly feeling exhausted.

"I have a caveat" said Ruby, holding her hand up. Rio rolled his eyes. "No, this is good" said Beth, the natural born mediator, "let's get it all out in the open." Ruby gave Rio a look dripping with sass and continued, "I think, we should get a say… we don't blindly accept just any plan. If we have a better idea, we should speak up and we get a vote on which option is best. You know… one _without _a high body count".

Rio groaned and closed his eyes. "Don't you be groanin' at me _gang friend_" snapped Ruby, "if you think about it all the best jobs we did was when we worked _together_".

"She has a point, _bro_" said Annie, raising her eyebrows at him. Beth chimed in "yes, she does".

"You bitches are killin' me" moaned Rio. "This ain't no PTA! You don't get to vote on the plan! You _do_ know I didn't have to come here, right? I coulda just let Turner have your asses and I'd not be questionin' my sanity right about now?"

"But you didn't" said Beth quietly. "You're here… and we need to work together to take down Turner". The ladies looked at each other and then at Rio, who sighed "_fine, _but I have final veto".

"Okay…" said Beth. "Let's get to work".


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Agent Turner was pacing in the park with a newspaper tucked under his arm, becoming increasingly irate. _Why did Rio want to meet here instead of their usual place?_ He felt his suspicion rising.

He sat down on the bench and surveyed the park. There were some kids playing soccer, a pond a bit further down where parents and kids were feeding the ducks. No sign of Rio anywhere.

He checked his watch again. He was 10 minutes late. Even more suspicious. Rio was never late. He was just about to call him when someone sat down next to him on the bench.

"Afternoon, Boss" said Rio lazily.

"You're late" came Turner's clipped reply.

"Sorry man, I got delayed" replied Rio, putting his sunglasses on and leaning back against the bench.

Turner opened the newspaper with a theatrical flick. "Why are we meeting here anyway? What's wrong with the usual place?"

"You wanted to meet" said Rio, "usually this is the only time I get to catch a glimpse of my boy… seen as I no longer have visitation rights. Thanks to you."

Turner chuckled "I think you'll find… I'm not the one who broke the law, Rio".

Rio eyed him up and down and smiled treacherously. His eyes reminded Turner of a shark. Despite the fact he knew he had him where he wanted, every now and then he saw a glimpse of the dangerous man he'd managed to shackle. The one that beat seven bells of shit out of him.

He still had nightmares about that night. In short, if he was really honest, Rio scared the crap out of him.

"Come on now, Turner… I bet you done _something_ bad at some point… You tellin' me you been a goody two-shoes your whole damn life? Your whole damn career?!"

Turner's eyes narrowed and stared at Rio, looking serious, a flicker of doubt moved across his face. Then he suddenly chuckled again "I do love our chats Rio, but I have a busy schedule… let's get to it. What do you know?"

"Alright, alright" said Rio "I still don't know why you wanna do this face to face… we coulda just done this on the phone."

"Nah", replied Turner, "When it comes to Beth Boland I don't trust you at all, Rio. I wanna look you in the eyes when you tell me what's going down."

Rio's eyes narrowed, and he pursed his lips thoughtfully "you think I don't want that bitch to go down for what she did to me?! You actually think I'm gonna go easy on her?"

Turner chuckled "to be honest Rio, I don't know… I wouldn't put it past you to team up with her. Try to take me down. I'd advise against that, by the way".

"Please. If I wanted to take you down, I don't need Elizabeth" scoffed Rio.

"You see… I think she's already affected you" Turner replied, his finger jabbing his temple. "This macho stuff here… that's new. You need to remember your place here. I'm your boss. You're my bitch. Don't forget I only need one phone call to put your ass in jail."

"And I only need one bullet to put your ass in the ground" laughed Rio. When he saw Turner's face he made a placating gesture with his hands "hey, I'm just messing with you, man. Chill."

"Stick to the day job, Rio. You ain't no comedian" hissed Turner.

"You just a big ball of fun today, ain't you Turner? What's up? You not getting enough at home?" taunted Rio, raising his eyebrows.

"One phone call Rio. Go ahead and push me. See what happens" replied Turner in a voice like steel.

"Ooh touched a nerve there, hey Boss? Alright, alright… just chill. Don't get your panties in a twist. I'm on the job, I've made progress. I met with her a couple of days ago, and again this morning."

"You were meant to make contact as soon as you got in touch with her, Rio!" snarled Turner. "I've now lost several days' worth of surveillance!"

"Man, you need to go do some yoga or somethin' coz all that tension is gonna give you a heart attack. I got this, okay? I got this. I got them eatin' outta the palm of my hand. All three of 'em"

Turner raised his eyebrows and gave Rio an appraising look. "Really?" he asked, sardonically.

"Really." Replied Rio.

"Okay…" sighed Turner, "hit me".

"Yeah 'bout that… Seems to me, you need me to get Elizabeth, and I need to see my boy. How 'bout we talk 'bout that first?"

Turner chuckled "You see? That's what I'm talkin' about. You have a couple of meet up's with Beth Boland and now you think you're Danny fuckin' Ocean, calling all the shots! You wanna go back to jail that bad, is that it? You want me to send your ass back there?"

Rio talk a deep breath "Do it. Make the phone call. I mean it". He took off his sunglasses again and looked Turner straight in the eyes. "Do it. Hell, I'd rather go back to prison. I'd rather get fucked there than fucked out here, man"

Turners mouth stiffened, then spread to the rest of his face. Eyes narrowed, he could barely conceal the rage radiating from him. "What the hell kinda game you playin' Rio?" he asked through gritted teeth.

"You know what?" replied Rio. "That's just it. I ain't. I am through playin' games. I'm tired of all this. Go ahead put me in jail." Rio put his sunglasses back on as if to punctuate his demand, "or you let me see my boy."

Turner's face was tormented by conflict as he contemplated Rio's ultimatum.

"Your call, man" said Rio, standing up to walk away.

"Wait… wait." Turner ran his hand over his head and sighed. "I'll see what I can do."

Rio smiled and tilted his head "thanks boss. You get in touch when it's arranged then we'll pick up right where we left off". He turned around and sauntered off.

"Fuck!" Turner cried once Rio was out of earshot and threw his newspaper on the ground.

Rio walked away feeling very pleased with himself. He wondered if Turner had realized how much he'd given away?

With childlike ease, Rio'd managed to surmise a number of things. He now knew he wasn't under active surveillance, that Turner needed him more than he'd first realised, and that there were_ definitely _some skeletons in that closet.

Curiously he hadn't mentioned Elizabeth's pregnancy. _Perhaps he didn't know?!_ Well he probably would, soon enough. Rio basked in the warmth of the knowledge he would get to see his kid again soon. For the first time in months, Rio felt like he was in control. Like his life was his own. Rio smiled again and headed to his car with a skip in his step.

Beth sat at her craft table and sighed. Before her she had a plan laid out in glorious colors and textures. Now more than ever making visual aids helped her keep track of things. Her babybrain was making her head fuzzy and confused. Most of all she was tired. She yawned and closed her eyes momentarily.

The image of Rio entered her mind. That man just turned her upside down. She thought of him kissing her, the feeling of his hands on her body, his firm lips on hers, his playful tongue, the way he smelt. She sighed deeply and shuddered.

She wished he was here. Their last encounter left her feeling a _little_ frustrated to say the least.

"Penny for your thoughts?" came that familiar voice.

Beth nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Rio… I didn't see you there" said Beth, feeling her cheeks flush. She felt as if he could read her mind, especially at times like this, when the embarrassment factor was at an all-time high.

"You been busy, Elizabeth" he said surveying her craft table. It was more a statement than a question. He smiled at her and she felt her stomach do a backflip.

"Did you meet with Turner?" she asked, trying to sound unaffected by his raw charm.

"Yeah" Rio replied. "It was _very_ interestin'. He's gonna try let me see my boy, and I bought us a little more time. He looked her up and down and after a brief pause said "I think he's dirty"

"Really?" squeaked Beth, _damn it I sound like a hysterical teenager_, she thought, her pulse quickening at the way he pronounced the word _dirty_. _I'm pathetic_ she wailed, inwardly.

She cleared her throat and said in a more neutral-sounding register "you got all that outta one meeting? I'm impressed."

"Well as you know, I can be _very_ persuasive" he replied, licking his lips. "Anyone else here?" he asked suggestively.

"Erm… no… but Dean's coming with the kids. Soon" she replied, feeling her cheeks flush again.

"Shame" smiled Rio and stepped closer, then bending down to push that insistent lock of hair out of her face. He looked at her and smiled, and swiftly moved in to give her a kiss so deep she felt her legs trembling. Then just as suddenly, he pulled back, flashed her another smile and said "I'll see you real soon Elizabeth. I'll be in touch."

And just like that he walked out again. Elizabeth sat down trembling. She still couldn't figure him out. She hoped she was doing the right thing trusting him with Turner… _but what choice do I have? _She thought.

She heard the front door and the noise of her children pouring into the house. She quickly tidied her craft things away and rearranged her features into her "Mom face". She stood up and went in search of milk and cookies for the kids.

In another kitchen, Ruby was pacing back and forth. She was _not_ looking forward to this conversation. Stan had been working nights since the shit with Turner had gone down – a punishment of sorts - without the label.

She'd prepared a nice breakfast for him to sweeten the blow. The kids were happily enjoying a rare privilege of eating breakfast in front of the TV. Not ideal but at least they wouldn't have front row seats to the conversation they were about to have.

The door opened, and an exhausted Stan shuffled into the kitchen. He gave her a tired smile and yawned "hey boo".

"Hey boo" she replied, smiling awkwardly "I made you a nice breakfast". She smiled again, inwardly hating herself for what she was about to tell him.

"Thanks baby… but I'm not sure I could eat a thing… I might just head straight to bed" he replied and started to walk towards the staircase, yawning again.

Ruby closed her eyes, took a deep breath and said in a quiet voice, "Rio's back".


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Stan paced back and forth in the kitchen, chewing on a bacon rasher. Ruby sat and watched him, anxiously. Waiting for him to calm down.

He stopped suddenly and stared at her "I still can't believe it" he said, finishing off his bacon. "Turner _saved_ his ass and _lied _to all of us. Beth shoulda just killed his _ass_ when she had the chance!"

"I know baby, I know baby…" said Ruby, who'd clearly heard him say this a number of times in the last hour or so. Ruby had dropped the kids off to let Stan have a few moments alone to process the news. Unfortunately, this was as far as he'd got.

Stan reached for another bacon rasher and began pacing again. Ruby rolled her eyes and grabbed a piece too. _Five more minutes_, she thought, _I'll give him five more minutes of freak-out time._

"Unbelievable!" he said, pacing again.

"Okay", said Ruby. "Just. Stop. We need to focus, keep it together. Sit down."

Stan walked over and sat down at the kitchen table and let out a long sigh.

"So, what's the plan" he asked, finally.

"Well…" began Ruby, "we have two options. One, we build a case against Turner. Fast. Rio's convinced he's got some skeletons in his closet. Two, Rio's - favored option by the way – is to… " Ruby then did her best impression of Rio, "_pop a cap in his ass_".

Stan chuckled, despite everything. "The Turner I saw in that interrogation room _definitely _has some skeletons in his closet. Option two probably has a higher success rate. If I'm being honest."

Ruby reached out to grab his hand, he took it and there they sat: holding hands, in silent support, processing the enormity of the task ahead of them.

"So… ", began Ruby, cautiously

"So, what?" replied Stan, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"We thought… you bein' a cop and all… might be able to help dig out some of them skeletons…" Ruby cringed inwardly, hoping Stan wouldn't freak out.

Stan nodded. "I'm in".

"Just like _that_?" said Ruby in a skeptical voice.

"Needs must", smiled Stan, squeezing her hand. "This is our family we' talking about. All of us. You, me, the kids, Beth and Annie. We need to stick together."

Ruby visibly relaxed and smiled, eyes tearing up. "Thanks, boo"

"Now, Ruby. Be honest. Is there anything else I should know?" Stan looked her straight in the eyes.

Ruby sighed and gave him an awkward smile. "Beth and Rio appear to be… a thing again…"

"Ah fuck" swore Stan and put his head in his hands.

The day after Ruby held a barbecue, inviting her neighbors including Annie and Beth.

The three ladies stood around the barbecue, as Ruby pushed the burgers around.

"So," she said, in a low voice. "Stan is in. He'll be looking into Turner, keeping a low profile… Rio said he had a few people on the inside too, though right?"

"Yeah…" replied Beth with a sigh, chewing on a pickle. "He's got a couple of cops on the payroll… even a fed."

"So, err… when are you seeing him again?" asked Annie in a casual tone.

Beth gave her _A Look_. "Day after tomorrow".

"I'd still feel better if we could be there too" muttered Ruby

"It's better this way", replied Beth, "it means I can keep you two out of the picture as much as possible."

"Ha", scoffed Annie, "I see… better for _who?" _She shared a knowing look with Ruby.

Beth rolled her eyes "Turner is only interested in me, let's keep it that way. He'll know something is up if the four of us keep meeting". She sighed and huffed, feeling uncomfortable as she tried to stretch her back. "Do you mind if we sit down? My back is aching like crap and my feet are like watermelons".

Ruby motioned to Stan who took over barbecue duties. They sat down on some benches in the shade. Beth sighed and closed her eyes. "This pregnancy thing… officially sucks right now" she groaned softly.

Annie rolled her eyes.

"Don't roll them eyes at me Annie Marks, I know what you're thinking. But you're not so perfect. You slept with an _FBI agent_, remember?"

"How did you know I was rolling my eyes…?"

"You're my kid sister" replied Beth, eyes still closed, "trust me, _I_ _can tell"._

Annie turned away and rolled her eyes again, taking a deep drink of her wine. "How come you haven't got anything harder than this, Rubes?"

"It's a _family_ barbecue, Annie. Anything stronger feels… _inappropriate_."

"Well it just means I have to drink _twice_ as much, then" smiled Annie, draining her glass and walking off in search of a refill.

"That girl can drink like a fish…", muttered Ruby. They sat silently for a few moments.

Suddenly Beth sat up, wide awake. "She slept with an FBI agent!" she cried. A few people nearby looked up from their conversations, puzzled.

Ruby laughed awkwardly. "The latest book in our book club is a _killer_" she smiled "_full_ of deadly twists!"

Ruby glanced at Beth, who was sat blinking, thinking, looking more awake than she had all afternoon. Almost a little manic.

"Girl what is _wrong_ with you?! You need to _chill_" Ruby hissed out of the corner of her mouth. She smiled at the people staring nearby "Have you tried my homemade potato salad? My mama's recipe. It's to _die_ for". The people nodded and smiled and made their way to the buffet table.

"Can you stop talking about killing and dying, Ruby?" laughed Beth.

"Freudian slip" replied Ruby. "Now _what_ are you talking about?"

A few moments later, Annie arrived with a large refill of wine, eating a hotdog.

Ruby and Annie looked up and smiled sweetly at her.

"What?" said Annie, mouth full.

Evening had drawn the barbecue to a close and the women were in Ruby's kitchen. Beth was sat on a chair, feet elevated, shoes off, watching the other two clean up. Annie was still seething. Drying the dishes as aggressively as she could.

"Annie…" began Beth

"No! Don't you _Annie_ me! What the fuck is wrong with you two?!" Annie was brandishing the kitchen towel like a weapon, angrily thrusting it first in Beth's – then Ruby's direction.

"It makes _sense_" pleaded Beth. "He was willing to spend his life with you… it's Turner's fault he got sent to backend of nowhere… What's the harm in reaching out to him? All that could happen is he…"

"Rejects the _crap_ outta me? Tells me how he's moved on and how is life is so fuckin' _amazing_?" interrupted Annie. "_Or…_ he smells something's up and he gets in touch with Turner!? Didn't think of _that _did ya, _Boss Bitch_?" Annie fell silent and with a shuddering sigh went back to drying the dishes.

Ruby and Beth looked at each other.

"But what if he hasn't moved on, Annie? Don't you _miss_ him? If he can find some dirt on Turner, he might have more say on where he works? He could relocate?" suggested Beth.

"He has a _kid_ who lives nearby…" said Annie in a small voice. "And you know, I'm bad news… I don't wanna mess things up for him. Like I mess up _everything_."

Ruby rolled her eyes "Enough with the pity party, Annie".

Annie looked at her, eyes welling up.

Ruby walked over and took the towel from her and grasped her hands. "Have you made some bad decisions? Yes. But when it counts, you are _there_, you woman up and you are _there_."

"That FBI dude was undercover. Girl you're so _awesome_ he fell in love with your ass. You're an amazing parent, and you always stick up for your family."

"And look at it this way… we all mess up. I mean, look at your _sister…_ having gang-friend's baby for the _love_ _of god_". Ruby crossed herself as Beth yelped a protesting "hey!".

Annie started laughing, wiping away the mix of sad and happy tears. "Thanks, Ruby" and gave her a big hug.

"Hey what about me? Where's _my _hug?" pouted Beth. The two women laughed and moved over to Beth for a group-hug.

Stan came in and saw them women hugging and slowly backed out again. He knew when to steer clear.

"So," said Beth, once they'd hugged it out, "whaddya say?"

Annie gave her a teary smile and then laughed "my god you're relentless! Okaaaay. I'll do it. I'll get in touch with Noah".


	8. Chapter 8

It's been a few days since my last installment - hope you guys are enjoying it(!) Any feedback is appreciated! xoxo

Chapter 8

Beth felt nervous as pottered around her kitchen, preparing for to meet with Rio that evening. She was nervous about being alone with him, she could feel her cheeks flush as she recalled their last passionate kiss. She sighed deeply and rested her back against the counter, drifting off into a daydream.

The sound of the kettle stirred her from her reverie, and she poured the hot contents into a cup with a mint tea bag in. The second thing she was nervous about was selling him the idea of getting Noah involved. She could just imagine his response to that little suggestion.

She took a sip of tea, and then suddenly remembered what she was meant to be doing. She waddled over to the refrigerator, opened it and glanced at the contents.

She sighed again. She'd bought a beautiful piece of beef, baby potatoes and fresh vegetables. But the thought of cooking – something she usually enjoyed – left her feeling weary. Instead, she opened the freezer, in the hopes that a less labor-intensive solution would leap out at her.

An hour or so later, Beth applied some lipstick and sighed at her vision in the mirror. After about three outfit changes, she'd settled for a floaty dress with a blue floral pattern that brought out her eyes. It was hardly mind-blowing, but it was comfortable.

"You look nice" came Rio's lazy drawl as she put her lipstick away.

"Jeez, Rio, you're like a ninja or something" laughed Beth nervously, feeling a slight discomfort at the fact that he'd managed to sneak up on her _again_. "How do you do that?!"

"Practice" smiled Rio. He looked over at the table, dressed with flowers and candles. "You didn't need to go to any trouble on my account, Elizabeth" he said giving her a wink.

"Trust me. I didn't" she chuckled and produced two frozen ready-meals and a jar of pickles. Rio laughed too and sat down as they waited for the microwave to do its job.

It was strange as they were sat opposite each other, eating their crappy microwave meals. Almost like a normal couple. Small talk, shared jokes, and a warmth she hadn't really felt with Rio before. Beth cautioned herself inwardly. She couldn't lose herself in a daydream like that. They would never be a normal couple. Whatever _that_ was, anyway.

Her thoughts on this made her feel anxious so she decided to take control and steer the conversation towards business matters. "So," she started, grabbing a pickle "how did things go with Turner?"

Rio took a pickle too and smiled at her, "keen to get on to business, huh?"

Beth suddenly felt awkward "No, I mean… I'm just a little tired. I thought we should get to it before I stop making sense"

"Of course," nodded Rio, looking more somber, and wiped his hands with a napkin. Suddenly a fire lit in his eyes, "I got to see my boy yesterday" he beamed.

"Wow, Rio… that's – that's _amazing_, I'm so happy for you! Did it go okay?"

Rio made a so-so hand gesture "he was very quiet at first… maybe a little shy… or pissed… but we had a real nice time. He'd warmed up to me towards the end".

"That's great" smiled Beth and reached out to touch his hand.

Rio looked at her hand and then up at Beth. "It is", he smiled. "Also cos it shows how desperate Turner is… and kinda backs up my intel"

Beth eyes narrowed "what intel?" she asked curiously.

"That Turner's gone rogue. Rumor has it, this here arrangement is unsanctioned. He's that desperate to nail you he's doing all this on the sly. Below the radar. That would explain how I've been given such a free rein, why I wasn't under active surveillance. "

"My guess is he has some sort of alert on you, in case of any irregular financial activity… and he wants me to get close to you… and set off that trigger."

Beth felt faint, sick and giddy all at once. She felt the worry that Turner was out to get her, but also the excitement at the prospect of giving Turner enough rope to hang himself… to shut him down once and for all.

She realized Rio was staring at her. And that she was still holding onto his hand. She smiled awkwardly and attempted to withdraw. "Sorry" she mumbled.

"Don't be" said Rio, with a smile that lit a fire in her soul. He moved her hand towards his lips and kissed it gently. Beth's breath caught in her throat.

_My God, everything he does is so damn sexy_ she thought to herself. She then remembered she needed to speak to him about Noah "Rio, I - His smile made her lose her train of thought completely. She looked down, feeling flustered.

Beth could feel him looking at her with that intense gaze of his. She looked up and looked back into his eyes for what felt like an eternity, the sound of her heart pounding filled her ears.

Suddenly he broke the spell as he stood up moved over, pulling her up from her seat into an embrace. "Elizabeth… You really do look beautiful tonight" he said, tucking an errant curl behind her ear.

Beth could barely breathe, standing so close to him, drinking in his scent, feeling the glow of the fire in his gaze. She sighed and gave a little moan as he kissed her. He kissed her passionately and deeply. It felt as if her lips and tongue were burning from his touch. His hands moved up her back, playing with the curls at the nape of her neck, not breaking free from the kiss.

He pulled away from her lips and began kissing her neck. Beth bit her lip, and swayed a little, feeling a little faint. She caressed his back and moved downwards, feeling a little tingle in her core as she rested her hands on his hips.

She had flashbacks to the last time were together, imagining his naked body on top of hers. She reached to touch that fabulous ass of his but couldn't quite reach because of her swollen belly getting in the way. She stifled a laugh as his lips found hers again, his hands moving down her body, gently brushing against her breasts and belly.

Rio groaned softly as Beth gently bit his lip, running her hand over his head, feeling the short hair against her, soft like velvet. One of his hands had now moved to caressing her breast, the other at the back of her neck.

Beth gasped with pleasure, it'd been so long since someone had touched her like this. _Too long,_ she thought. _Is this really happening? What the hell am I doing?! _Rio pulled back, his eyes smoldering. It was as if he sensed her hesitation. "You okay, Elizabeth?"

"Yeah" she almost whispered, and after a moment's hesitation asked "You wanna go upstairs?"

Rio's smile could have melted her to into a puddle right there and then. "I thought you'd never ask". As they made their way to the staircase a phone started ringing. Rio froze.

"That's not mine" said Beth. Rio sighed and closed his eyes. It was his burner phone. "Do you need to get that?" asked Beth, a shadow of anxiety in her voice.

Rio flashed her a reassuring smile, shook his head and moved in for a kiss that left Beth weak at the knees. "Let 'em call back". Suddenly the phone stopped ringing. "See?" he said, confidently, and began following her up the stairs.

The phone suddenly started ringing again. Beth paused on the stairs and turned around "maybe it's important, Rio?" Rio nodded "just a sec, I'll be right up". "Okay…" replied Beth, "don't be too long…" "I won't" he said playfully and gave her a cheeky wink.

Once Beth was upstairs, she let out a muffled cry. _What the hell am I doing?! And what the hell is happening downstairs _she thought, panic rising in her chest. She stood close to the door and strained her ears, trying to hear what was being said.

Rio sauntered over to his jacket in the kitchen and picked up his phone just as it stopped ringing. A message came through a few seconds later which said _I'm outside._

_Fuck!_ cursed Rio, inwardly. _This is going to be awkward_, he thought.

Beth, listening upstairs grew more and more worried as the deafening silence continued.

Rio had shrugged on his coat and slipped on his shoes. _That muthafucker is asking for it_, he thought. Across the street in the shadows he could just about make out a figure, roughly same build and height as Turner. He made a beeline for him, trying to keep his temper in check.

"Ah… Rio" said Turner cheerfully. "Looks like you and the missus are having a lovely evening… _very _cosy"

Rio imagined putting his fist through Turner's face but gave him a cool smile. "What can I say? I'm no saint. If it's on a platter I'm sure as hell gonna take a bite. What gives? She's gonna get suspicious if I'm out here too long."

"Nothin'" replied Turner with a feigned smile. "Just lettin' you know I got my eye on you." Turner made to leave. Rio just gave him a cold, hard stare.

"Oh, by the way… I noticed the lovely Mrs. Boland was looking… a little plumper" said Turner, casually, grinning like the cat that got the cream. "Are congratulations in order?"

Rio had kept his features blank but then gave him that smile that put Turner in mind of a shark. "apparently so" he replied. He took a step closer to Turner, who for a split second had the decency to look intimidated. "It ain't mine tho" Rio said, in a dark, low voice. "Now do you mind? I should get back. I'll be in touch, boss".

And without waiting for a reply, Rio turned and walked back to the house.


	9. Chapter 9

Hey all, sorry for the delay I've not had the time to do much writing. This is my first attempt at something a little steamier... so kinda nervous... be honest but kind!

Chapter 9

Rio let himself back into the house and was confronted by Beth in the kitchen.

"Who was that?" she asked anxiously

Rio walked over to her. Standing so close to her, Beth could feel his breath on her face. He reached out to gently caress her tense face and opened his mouth to speak. Beth cut him off before he could utter a single word.

"Whatever you say next better be the truth" she said, dangerously

Rio nodded, his chocolate eyes looking straight into her bright blue ones. "It was Turner."

Beth gasped, anxiety contorting her porcelain features.

"He wants me to know he's watching me, is all" Rio said, soothingly.

"He came here _in person?!" _ hissed Beth.

Rio nodded, "which just adds to my theory that this here deal here is a solo project".

Beth nodded, the cogs turning in her head. "I think I need to sit down," she said and waddled towards the lounge. She sat down heavily on the sofa and put her feet up "ah yeah that's better" she sighed.

Rio sat down on an adjacent armchair.

"He – err – also mentioned the pregnancy" began Rio cautiously.

"He _what?!" _snapped Beth.

"He asked about the baby… I told him it wasn't mine. I just thought you should know. Turner can _not_ have that type of leverage on me right now," said Rio, fists clenching slightly.

Beth didn't know how to react. It made sense but it also pissed her off more than she could say. She sat up again. Not knowing how to deal with this sudden wave of rage that washed over her.

"You mad?!" asked Rio, in an incredulous voice.

"Yes." Replied Beth through gritted teeth. "I know you have to tell him that but… it makes me _angry," _she hissed.

"Hey… hey," pleaded Rio, moving over to sit next to her, kissing her hand. "_I_ know this li'l niña is mine. Fuck Turner."

Beth blinked back the tears, still not looking at Rio.

"Elizabeth…" said Rio softly and gently turned her face towards him.

She looked at him, _God he's beautiful,_ she thought. He moved in close and kissed her gently on the lips. _It's like being kissed by an angel and devil all at once,_ popped an unbidden thought in her head.

She kissed him back, he drew her closer and she felt as if they were the only two people in the world. She took off his shirt, and felt his warm, hard torso under her hands.

She moved down, kissing his neck gently, as if she was tasting his tattoo. Rio groaned and his fingers played with her hair. She moved back up to kiss his lips again, she could feel his hand on the nape of her neck. She loved it when he did that, a spine-tingling mix of danger and comfort, knowing his hand was there to stop her slipping away.

She had no idea how long they were kissing on the sofa, she just surrendered herself to the feel of his mouth, lips, tongue, hands.

Suddenly Rio cradled her face and pushed back a lock of her hair. "Elizabeth…" he said hoarsely.

"Help me up" she said, leaving no doubt of where she wanted to go

He pulled her up from the sofa and they walked up the stairs to the bedroom.

Beth took Rio by the hand and led him into her bedroom. She turned around, suddenly feeling self-conscious and nervous. Rio took her right hand and kissed it gently, gazing at her intently.

"I'm nervous" stuttered Beth, and giggled a little, feeling like she had all the worldly sophistication of a school girl.

"Don't be," said Rio, his eyes full of passion. He leaned in for a kiss that almost floored her. He was an amazing kisser. She caressed his chest, moving her hands to his back, not breaking their passionate kiss. After a few moments, she moved her hands to his hips, playfully coaxing her fingers down the waistband of his trousers, feeling the exquisite dip that lead down to his groin.

Beth felt dizzy at the thought of getting him out of those trousers and finally getting to catch another glimpse of his beautiful, lithe body. They say size doesn't matter, but Beth guessed Rio never had to worry about that particular topic.

Rio gasped as he felt Beth's fingers brush against the sensitive skin near his groin. He broke away from their kiss to look at her, hands cupping her face, his eyes heavy with lust. Beth felt her breath catch in her throat from the sheer gravity of his gaze. "Elizabeth… you drive me crazy" he said in a hoarse whisper.

Beth stepped back a little and looked down. Yes, could see just how crazy she made him, his trousers looked like they were fit to burst. "I think we need to get you out of those pants…" she giggled. Rio looked down, and then back at her, eyebrow raised.

Beth attempted to unbuckle his belt, as he softly kissed her neck, his stubble brushing lightly against her, his hot breath caressing that sensitive spot at the nape of her neck. Beth soon realized that between the distracting kisses and her mama belly getting in the way, she was never getting him out of those pants. "I can't…" she whispered, and then chuckled, "I can't get your damn pants off!"

Rio looked up at her and flashed her a cheeky grin. "Don't you worry, mama, I'm a big boy… I can take my _own_ pants off". He stepped back and didn't take his eyes off her as he unbuckled his belt and slipped his pants off, revealing a pair of very snug-fitting boxer briefs, which left little to the imagination.

Beth gasped, and could feel her pulse racing. _Is this really happening? _she thought, almost dizzy with desire. She felt a keen and throbbing urge to possess his beautiful body, she'd never felt this way about anyone before. She just wanted him. Simple as that. Beth pushed away an irrational fear that she was actually, physically drooling.

Rio smiled at her, appreciating her wandering eyes over his body. He was enjoying watching her, watching him. Then in one swift movement, he whipped off his underwear, liberating the rather impressive contents within.

Beth gasped again. He was magnificent. She couldn't wait to touch him, feel him, taste him. She moved forward, leaving enough space between them so she could reach him. She could feel how hard his was, how much he wanted her. That turned her on even more. Rio closed his eyes, gasping. Beth gripped him harder, the feeling of being in control of this beautiful man was intoxicating.

Rio let her touch him, surrendering himself to her, but after a few moments he opened his eyes again. His gaze devoured her. She knew she had him close to the edge. "Come here" he whispered hoarsely, kissing her deeply. His hands moved up to her ample breasts and he cupped one, caressing and stroking, feeling her nipple harden beneath her dress.

Beth moaned, _god I need this so bad_, she thought. Rio's hands moved down to the hem of her dress, slowly lifting it up, his mouth on hers. He stepped back and managed to pull it over her head. He looked at her, eyes ablaze. "You're beautiful" he said, taking in the vision of her.

Beth could feel herself blushing as this naked man, who she barely knew, really. There was just something about the way he looked at her. Like she was the most beautiful woman on the planet. And she was all his. Blushing aside, there was no way she was backing out now. She was going to have him, one way or another. She reached back and unclasped her bra, her heavy breasts spilling forth.

Rio's lips parted with desire, he clearly couldn't wait to get his hands on her. He stepped forward, grasped both breasts with his hands, his thumbs gently rubbing and teasing her nipples. "Yo, these er… have definitely been pregnancy enhanced" he said, a wicked smile playing on his lips.

He bent down and licked one pink nipple, flicking it and circling it gently with his tongue. Beth felt she could have orgasmed right there and then. He moved on to the other nipple, still rubbing the other one gently with his thumb. Beth couldn't take it any longer. "I need you. Now" she said with an urgency that turned Rio on even more.

He pulled her ginormous mama knickers down. Beth cringed inwardly. _Hardly_ _Victoria's Secret lingerie at this stage of the pregnancy, _she thought. She pushed those negative thoughts aside, because the way Rio was looking at her right now, there was no turning back.

Rio worked his way from her voluptuous ass, to her thighs and then began stroking her inner thighs, up towards the throbbing center of her desire. She gasped as his fingers gently touched the most sensitive of places, watching her face as he continued to stroke and caress her. Beth let out a shudder, to which Rio responded with a low groan. He was clearly enjoying himself.

"I think", she gasped, "we might need to move to the bed". Rio's face indicated he wasn't going to argue with her. Beth lay down on the bed, and Rio beside her. She could reach better, horizontally, she found.

Rio closed his eyes in ecstasy as she touched his hard shaft. She watched his face awash with desire as she stroked him, she then leaned forward, kissing him passionately. He returned the favor, his hand wandering up between her legs, his fingers moving faster and more passionately than before. Beth felt that familiar wave of heat and ecstasy as she orgasmed from his touch. But this only made her want more.

"I need you", she croaked. Rio was more than happy to oblige. After a few comical attempts at different positions, Beth lay on her side, with Rio spooning her. Beth gasped as she felt him push into her. It was heaven. A perfect fit. He started moving, slowly at first and then – as if he became more confident he wasn't hurting her – harder and faster.

"You okay Elizabeth?" he whispered into her ear.

"Oh yes", panted Beth, "please, just don't stop what you're doing".

Rio didn't hold back now. He fondled her breasts, thrusting passionately, harder and harder until they both reached a crescendo, naked, gasping and shuddering. Rio kissed her neck gently. "You okay, Elizabeth?" he asked again, a touch of concern in his voice.

"Mmmmhmmm", sighed Beth contentedly. Rio hugged her tightly from behind, nestling his head into the crook of her neck. Pure joy and relief filled Beth's heart. This was where she belonged.


	10. Chapter 10

Here comes chapter 10. Any feedback appreciated :)

Chapter 10

Beth woke up with a start. Rio was gone. She sat up and clutched the bedclothes around her and checked the time. 2am. "Rio?" she called out.

Just then Rio walked in, glass of water in hand. "Hey," he said softly, "I'm here, I just got some water. You want some?"

He sat down on the bed. Beth took the glass and drank.

"I thought you'd left" she said, sardonically, handing Rio the glass back.

"You miss me already?", smiled Rio, licking his lips.

"Kinda" smiled Beth.

"Kinda?" said Rio, kissing her arm, working his way up to her neck.

Beth closed her eyes. She could get used to this. _Oh wait. She needed to talk to him about Noah. "_Rio?"

"Mmmmhhh?" came the muffled response.

"I need to talk to you about something…" continued Beth

"Mmmm?" replied Rio.

"Rio" said Beth in the sternest voice she could manage.

Rio stopped kissing Beth and looked up at her, displaying his best innocent school boy face.

Beth managed to stop herself from giggling. "Listen, there's something I wanted to run by you tonight. I was talking with the girls, and –"

Rio rolled his eyes and sighed.

"What?" asked Beth

"Nothin'", smiled Rio, "I just got the feelin' I ain't gonna like this, is all"

Beth rolled her eyes this time, but then continued "we were thinking… how about we reach out to Noah?"

Rio raised his eyebrows "Noah? Who da fuck is Noah?"

"The FBI agent who used to work for Turner. He was, well, he and Annie were –"

"You wanna bring _more_ cops to this party?!" asked Rio, incredulously. "Are you fucking with me right now?!" anger flashed across his face. Gone was the soft, attentive Rio from five minutes ago.

"Well – I – ", began Beth.

"You are somethin' else, Elizabeth Bolan. You know that?!" said Rio, his voice elevated. He tutted and got up, pulling on his pants.

"Wait – are you _leaving?" _cried Beth. "Wait, let's talk about this."

"What is there to talk about?" said Rio, buckling his belt. "I have a veto, do I not?"

"Well… _yes_" replied Beth "but – "

"So. I veto. End of story" barked Rio, in clipped tones.

"Won't you even _listen_?!_"_ cried Beth

Rio shook his head and chuckled. "Nah, Elizabeth. Nah. Because if I _listen_ to you, I suddenly find myself _agreeing _with you. And I don't want that. Not with this. It's too damn risky."

"Noah was _in love_ with Annie. He was pissed how Turner was running things. We can use that", urged Beth.

"I said _no!_" screamed Rio.

Beth nearly jumped out of her skin.

Rio sat on the bed in front of Beth, he was angry. "You push, and you push, and you push, Elizabeth. You told me you would respect my decision. Yet here you are. Pushing again. You think Noah _loved_ Annie? _Bullshit. _That is _bullshit_. He was doing his _job_. That's it."

Silence fell on the room. All Beth could hear was her own heartbeat.

Suddenly Beth felt a wave of rage crash over her. "You know what, Rio?" she cried, "you might not believe in love but some of us do."

"Oh yeah?" scoffed Rio. "You believe in love? Even after your husband cheated on you? Repeatedly?"

Beth stared at Rio, tears welling up" "Yes. Yes, I do" she said, her voice breaking slightly.

Rio's eyes narrowed and he shook his head. "I don't know what's going on in your head, Elizabeth, but I'm not the white picket fence, church on Sundays, PTA kinda guy, you know. You and I are _never_ gonna have that. Okay?"

Beth stifled a sob. It felt as if Rio had shot her through the heart. He'd cut right to what had been eating her all this time. "You don't think I know that?", she said quietly. "It doesn't mean other people don't fall in love? Noah will have access to files we don't. Have you thought about that?"

Rio shook his head. "You have my answer Elizabeth. Now I think I should leave. Let you get some rest". He got up and started to head for the bedroom door.

"Just like that?!" cried Beth incredulously.

Rio nodded. "Just like that" he replied. His face sullen, serious.

Beth looked away, blinking the tears away. She didn't want him to see her cry. Again.

"I get that you're not husband material" said Beth, addressing the wall in a subdued voice. "But… what are we then? What am I to you? What are we even doing?"

Rio sighed and wandered back over and sat down on the bed. "Elizabeth", he said softly.

Beth turned around, eyes puffy and red. "Do you even care about me at all?"

Rio looked as if she'd slapped him. His face hardened "I think I should leave. Let's talk later. When you've calmed down". He got off the bed and made his way to the door again.

"I think we should keep things strictly platonic from now on", said Beth in a faraway voice.

Rio paused but didn't turn around. "As you wish, Elizabeth". He left without another word. Beth lay down on the bed, waiting to hear the front door go. As soon as she was sure he'd left, she sobbed like a baby and cried herself to sleep.

Beth woke the next morning, a sense of doom clouding her mood. Then she remembered the fight she had with Rio. They'd spent such a wonderful night together. Then suddenly everything went wrong.

Beth felt miserable. Just when she felt they were making some progress. _Progress? Towards what?,_ she scoffed inwardly. Rio had made it quite clear yesterday that whatever was going on with them had no future. She had said things should be platonic to hurt him. But perhaps it would be for the best.

Well, she couldn't lie here feeling sorry for herself all day. Besides, her stomach was giving off some very strong hunger pangs. If she didn't get some food in her soon, she'd be hugging the toilet. She got up and waddled downstairs to the kitchen.

Ruby and Annie were at the office early going through the orderbook for Christmas. "This is awesome" said Annie, "we are _raking_ it in sister!".

"Mmmmh" said Ruby, glancing at the roster. "I think we might need to take on some more people to fulfil all these orders. Beth can barely move at this stage".

Annie nodded, her mind clearly wandering. "What should I say?" she said suddenly.

"'Bout what?" replied Ruby absent-mindedly, concentrating on typing in her password into the office laptop, trying to find the right keys with her index finger.

"To Noah" replied Annie, sighing and picking nervously at her nails.

Ruby looked up. "We might not even _need_ to call him. Just… push it out your head. Pack a few gift baskets before the staff get here. That'll take your mind off it" smiled Ruby, clearly worrying about the work mounting up.

"Fine" replied Annie doing an excellent pouty teenager impression. She left the office and disappeared to the packing room.

Ruby's phone rang. It was Beth. "Hey girl" said Ruby in a cheery voice.

"Hello" came a sullen voice in response.

Ruby rolled her eyes. "Goddamn what is it with you girls? You all pouty and sulky this morning. What's wrong, now?"

"I'm not coming in today" sniffed Beth. "Rio and I had a big fight. Noah is a no-go. He vetoed it without even hearing me out."

"Well I can't say I'm surprised. Is that all?" asked Ruby gently, clearly hearing the heartbreak in her friend's voice.

"Yeah" lied Beth. "And I'm just… hormonal ya know"

"Yeah, course" said Ruby. "You go have a rest. Annie and I can man the fort. Talk soon, sweetie". She ended the call and went to find Annie.

Ruby found Annie in the packing room. She was leaning on her elbows, daydreaming, surrounded by luxury food items and an empty gift basket.

"Glad to see you're hard at work" said Ruby, sarcastically. "Well you can stop moping because Beth called. Noah is a no-go. Rio vetoed it."

Annie stood up, looking disappointed, and then angry. She shook her head "that _fuck. _Who does he think he is?! He can't do that!"

Ruby raised her eyebrows. "Honey, he can. That was the deal. And to be honest… he might be right. This is a delicate situation we got here. A lot's at stake."

Annie's rage just intensified at these words. "Great. That's just. Great. So, you're siding with _Rio_ on this?! Unbelievable. Unbelievable." Annie shook her head and started violently packing the gift basket, just throwing items in there.

"Annie" began Ruby, in an attempt to placate her.

Annie slammed the basked down in response. "Just. Don't" she muttered through gritted teeth. "I need some air."

Ruby sighed and rolled her eyes. She could do without all this drama.

Annie paced back and forth in the park around the corner. She was livid. _How dare they judge Noah?!_ _At least he was an FBI agent. Not a criminal. Or a dirty cop_. Annie felt guilty at that last thought. Stan had been trying to help them after all.

_Why shouldn't I be allowed to call him? I mean, I don't even have to talk to him about what's going on. Just a friendly chat between old friends. What's the harm? _

Annie had been diligently pushing Noah out of her head the past couple of months. After pining for him and _almost_ going to see him, _almost_ calling him, she'd convinced herself it was pointless. Long distance relationships never work. She thought a clean break might be best.

But ever since Beth mentioned him the other day, she couldn't stop thinking about him. Imagining scenarios where they would meet up and somehow, they always ended up in bed. She missed him. Not just the sex – although it was fucking amazing with Noah. She missed his smile. His cheesy jokes. How great he was with Sadie.

Annie closed her eyes and sighed. She retrieved a scruffy piece of paper from her pocket and stared at the number scrawled on it. She seemed to reach a decision and pulled her phone from her other pocket. "Fuck it", she said and dialed the number.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Beth was lying in bed. Feeling miserable. A half empty jar of pickles on the bedside table and chocolate candy wrappings strewn around her. Her face was swollen and puffy from crying. She hated herself for crying. _I should be stronger than this_, she thought.

She heard the door go, her heart skipped a beat. She sat up and called out "hello?" _Could it be Rio?_ But Dean's voice echoed back. "Beth? Where are you?" _Dean?! What was he doing just waltzing in here?! Oh shit. What day is it?" _Beth had been feeling so sorry for herself she'd forgotten she was meant to have the kids.

She heard Dean come up the stairs, and the kids spilling into the house. In a wild panic she tried to snatch up all the chocolate wrappers and hide them under her pillow. She suddenly felt absurd, unsure why she was hiding a perfectly innocent chocolate binge. She wiped her face with the back of her hands, trying to de-puffify her teary eyes.

When Dean entered the room, she gave him a fragile smile and asked "how- how are you? How are the kids?". Dean surveyed the unmade bed, shiny wrappers poking out from her pillow, some on the floor. And the jar of pickles.

"You _forgot _we were coming, huh?" he smiled. He suddenly seemed to notice her puffy, weepy face, and his face softened with concern. "Hey… Beth, are you okay?" He didn't wait for an answer and sat down on the bed, putting his hand on hers.

A vision of the passionate lovemaking that had taken place here not 24 hours ago flashed through her head. She felt embarrassed and ashamed. She withdrew her hand. "Yeah… just… you know, _pregnancy."_

Dean smiled but looked a little hurt at her rejection. He then seemed to reach a decision. "Look, Beth. I know we are finalizing the divorce and everything, but I have been thinking. It's not something I'm taking lightly, but…"

Beth looked at him puzzled. _Where on earth was this heading? _she thought.

Dean took a deep breath. "Beth, I still love you. Despite everything. I was thinking… you know you don't have to do it alone. We could go to counselling. Start over. I mean, I know the baby isn't mine, but you _know_ I wouldn't love her any different. We could be a family."

Beth was gobsmacked. "I- I- ", was all she managed to get out. She hadn't even dared tell him about Rio yet.

"Look, I know this seems like it's coming out of nowhere, but I'm serious. I've thought about this _a lot_. And I get that I would need to do a _lot _of work to make this work, but I am willing to work hard, to be there for you, to be the husband I _should_ have been. The husband you _deserve_."

Beth looked into Dean's earnest eyes. She couldn't believe it. He was so sweet, but she just couldn't see how it could work. "You look tired, Beth", Dean said softly. "How about I keep the kids another night? Give you a chance to get some rest?" He stroked her cheek tenderly.

"That- that would really help", she managed to say. "Thank you".

Dean smiled and kissed her forehead. "You gotta look after yourself", he said affectionately.

He stood up, turned to leave, but then turned back. "I know you think I'm full of it, Beth but…" Dean paused as he rummaged in the inside pocket of his coat, "I want you to know that I'm serious".

Beth gasped as he produced a small box. Dean opened it to reveal a new engagement ring, looking at her with a mix of sincerity and pleading. The ring was beautiful.

"I've been walking around with that in my pocket for the last month or so", he smiled bashfully. "Just… just _think_ about it", he said, closing the little box and leaving it on her bedside table, leaning forward to kiss her on the top of her head. "See you tomorrow, Beth" he said, and walked out the door.

Beth heard him call out to the kids "come on kids you're getting a bonus night with your _pops_!" A mixture of groaning followed in response as they gathered their gear together again and headed back out the door.

Beth just sat in shock. Staring at the little black velvet box.

Ruby was at work, running through the orders with the staff when Annie returned, looking quite pleased with herself. Dreamy even. Ruby had developed a sixth sense with the Marks' girls. She had a way of knowing when they were up to no good. She handed over the paperwork to the teamleader and followed Annie to the office.

"So?" she asked Annie once the door was shut.

Annie was sat at her desk, mooning like a teenager.

"Earth to Annie?" called Ruby, cupping her hands.

"Hey" responded Annie, suddenly awake from whatever daydream she'd been languishing in. "Sorry about before. I'm just… It's all just so crazy now Rio's back. I'm just trying to adjust".

"Mmm-hmmm" replied Ruby, with a hint of skepticism. "What did you do, Annie?"

"What do you mean?" asked Annie, faux indignation written all over her face.

"I know you, Annie Marks. I know you inside out. And the Annie Marks I know would have gone off and done the _exact_ opposite of what we decided", Ruby preached.

Annie rolled her eyes and huffed like a teenager. "_Fine, _I called Noah because I'm a frickin' adult! I don't need _gangfriend's_ permission to call my ex! I'm _not_ going to talk to him about Turner or _Rio_, for crying out loud!"

Ruby sighed and muttered "Lord give me strength".

"What?!" snapped Annie.

"Well what do you think gangfriend's gonna do when he finds out you called him _after_ he vetoed it`?" hissed Ruby.

"Well he's not _going_ to find out, is he?!" remarked Annie pointedly, in the style of a 5-year old.

"I don't know if you've been paying attention here but gangfriend _always_ seems to find out", cried Ruby in exasperation. She rubbed her temples. She was getting a headache. Why did she always end up wrapped up in their little psychodramas?

Annie approached Ruby, sheepishly. "Rubes", she began.

Ruby sighed heavily. _Here it comes_, she thought.

"I know I suck. But I'm _lonely_. I actually _miss_ him. A _lot_. Please, please can we keep this between you and me?" Annie pouted annoyingly.

"Not sure I have a choice" sighed Ruby.

Annie squealed "Thank you Ruby I promise you nothing bad will happen, everything will be A-Okay. _Thank you thank you thank you!_"

"Go on, then" said Ruby with an air of defeatism. "Tell me, how was he?"

Annie sighed contentedly. "He was… _amazing. _It was just like old times. We're going to talk again in a few days. Don't worry we will _not_ be talking about anything to do with Rio or Turner for that matter, know what I'm sayin'?" said Annie with a salacious wink.

"Yeah I know, I know. You're filthy, girl" said Ruby with a nod.

Annie giggled in delight "Yes I am!"

"Get some packing done, you skank" laughed Ruby.

Annie gave Ruby a big kiss on the cheek "absolutely, my lady" and skipped off.

Once Annie had left the room Ruby groaned and banged her head against the desk. "Lord that girl's gonna get me killed".

Beth had managed to climb out of her pity cave and drag her sorry ass into the shower. She kept thinking back to her argument with Rio. The more she thought about it, the more she realized Rio was right. They didn't really know _anything_ about Noah.

And she had to admit, most of that argument seemed to be about her own complicated feelings for Rio. She needed to _woman up _and just… focus on getting Turner and getting through this pregnancy. As much as it pained her, keeping things platonic might be the right way to go.

After Beth got out of the shower, she picked up her phone, working up the courage to call Rio. The box Dean left on her bedside table caught her eye. She reached out and opened it. The ring was beautiful. _Would it be so bad to get back with Dean?_ she thought.

She was interrupted by her phone buzzing. It was Rio. Just a simple text message _We need to talk. You home? _Beth replied _I was just going to text you. I feel bad about before. I'm home. The kids are still at Dean's. _Rio replied almost instantly _See you in 10._

Beth felt that familiar flutter in her stomach. _Time to face the music_, she thought. She threw on some clothes and went downstairs.


	12. Chapter 12

Apologies for the delay - life got in the way!

Chapter 12

Beth tried different poses in the kitchen, trying to exude a sense of calm and control. The truth was, her heart was pounding, and she felt faint. She wanted to see Rio again desperately, but she was also dreading it, considering the way they left things.

After 10 minutes of faking an air of indifference, Beth's ankles started to ache, so she waddled to the couch and sat down with all the grace of a sack of potatoes.

Rio entered shortly afterwards. Despite expecting him, he still made Beth nearly jump out of her skin. The man was practically a ninja.

"Elizabeth" he said with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Beth felt her heart sink.

"Rio" she greeted him in return, hoping against hope he didn't notice how his cool demeanor wounded her.

Rio kept his distance, leaning against the wall, watching her.

As silence grew between them, Beth was getting flashbacks from their passionate encounter not 24 hours earlier. She felt her cheeks flush. Rio smiled lazily, as if he could see into her mind. _Curse you, Rio_, she thought.

"I have some news" said Rio, finally breaking the silence, nodding and looking pretty pleased with himself.

"Oh?" asked Beth, relieved that he'd stopped dissecting her mind.

"One of my guys found some dirt on Turner" Rio said, flashing her a grin.

"Ok-ay…" said Beth, encouraging him to continue

"Seems like Turner has a habit of dirty interviews" continued Rio, sucking his teeth

Beth nodded, suddenly feeling very tired. _Perhaps this was the breakthrough they needed?_

"I've got three cases where a confession was coerced using - shall we say - _unorthodox_ methods. I'm betting there's a whole more. I think the feds knew, and that's what Turner was moved around. See… the feds liked his closure rates, but they didn't want to look too closely at how he was doin' it. Until one of his cases got overturned." Rio cracked a wide grin.

"So, what's the plan?" asked Beth, unsure of how she was going to fit into the latest instalment of the Rio saga.

"You just keep doin' what you're doin', Elizabeth", replied Rio with tip of his head, "we need to keep meetin' up every now and then so Turner doesn't figure out our real gameplan. You wanted it done clean, this is as clean as it gets. The less you know, the better to be honest."

"Okay" nodded Beth, feeling somehow dismayed. _He doesn't need me_, she thought. "How long… do you think it will take?"

Rio shook his head "I'm not sure… at least a few more months…" he said.

"So… I… just _wait_?" asked Beth, her head feeling a little fuzzy and her stomach twinging.

"Yeah" replied Rio with a casual smile, "I got this."

_Why do I feel so deflated_? _Disappointed? _ Thought Beth. Nothing made sense to her anymore. "Okay", she said, putting on a brave smile. "I guess I can just focus on… getting this little girl ready" she patted her swollen stomach and let out a heavy sigh.

Rio's eyes softened as they met Beth's, but he broke away from her gaze and looked down at the floor. Beth looked away too. Feeling her heart breaking, her stomach clenched with despair.

After a few moments of silence, Rio pushed away from the wall and sat down next to her.

"Elizabeth" he said quietly. "I don't want things to be awkward between us. I want you to know I'm… sorry we had that fight. I'm sorry if I hurt you… but… you gotta know what's at stake here.

Beth was still looking down at the floor, unable to meet his eyes.

"_Elizabeth" _he said, more urgently, "you don't seem to get how serious this is. The fact that Turner is flying solo can play to our advantage, but it also means that there's no paper trail. Nothin' to stop him throwing my ass in jail. Or _worse."_

Beth looked up, startled, "you mean-"

"_Yes"_, replied Rio, emphatically. "There's nothing to stop Turner from disposing of me when I'm no longer useful… and if he somehow gets what he needs on you? Well… our kid won't stand a chance…"

Beth's breath caught in her throat. She hadn't thought of that. _If I went to jail…_ she thought. She closed her eyes. She felt her stomach tense uncomfortably.

"Elizabeth" said Rio, his voice firmer, stronger "don't ever say that I don't care, okay?"

Beth opened her eyes and looked deep into his, their usual playful nuance gone. He looked worried, and visibly upset. She hadn't realized that she… might have hurt him too.

"I know I might not be perfect – and I'm sure as hell no Dean… but I _do_ care about you… _and_ our kid". He tentatively reached out to touch her pregnant stomach, but stopped short, putting his hand back on his lap. "I can't promise you white picket fences or Sunday picnics, but I will do everything I can to keep you and our girl safe."

Beth felt herself tear up, _perhaps I misjudged him_, she thought.

"Which is why I agree with your suggestion of keeping things strictly platonic" Rio said, his voice like clipped steel. He looked away as he said this – as if he couldn't look at her.

Beth looked at him, his face turned away from hers. She felt as if she'd been punched in the gut. Yes, she had said that they should stay platonic, but she'd said that in a fit of rage, to hurt him. He turned to look at her, she looked away, not wanting him to see how hurt she was.

"Elizabeth… you gonna to say something?" asked Rio, a touch of concern coloring his voice.

Beth sighed, her stomach twinging… "I'm going for a lie down" she said in a quiet voice. She wasn't feeling that great and she just wanted to get away from everything – from Rio. She went to stand up but felt faint and sat down again.

"Elizabeth, you okay?" asked Rio

"I'm _fine_" snapped Beth. "Why wouldn't I be? I've just been told that we can look forward to _you_ being killed, _me_ in the slammer and our _kid_ in an orphanage. _Plus_ after one roll in the hay with Porky Mcfatface here" - she gesticulated towards herself – "you've decided that you want nothing more to do with me. Did I _miss_ anything?" she concluded sarcastically.

"Hey – _you_ told _me_ we should stay platonic-", began Rio

Beth scoffed "You know, for someone who _bangs_ a whole lot of women you sure are pretty fucking clueless. I said it to hurt you – because you hurt _me"._

"Well that's pretty fuckin' mature, Elizabeth", spat Rio

"Mature?" There's no room for maturity inside this bloated sausage I now call a body" snapped Beth. Standing up a little too fast and wincing as her stomach cramped.

"Hey _you_ said you wanted to be platonic, like five minutes after we had sex. And it's not the first time either. The last time we were together _before you shot me,_ you told me we were through too. That afternoon that we – er - you know, if you wanna keep score here", he stuttered. Rio stood up, signaling he was done with the conversation.

Beth opened and closed her mouth, confused. _Wait – does he mean…? "_You mean when…? That – that was different. I wanted out of the game. Things were getting too risky. It wasn't… _personal"_

"Well it sure as hell _felt_ personal Elizabeth" hissed Rio.

Beth clutched her side as she felt another twinge "You mean you've been carrying a grudge about that all this time?!"

Rio stared at her, his eyes looked wild, not the usual in control Rio at all. He took a deep breath and finally said "Forget about it, Elizabeth. You know nothing good can come of you and me. Except maybe that little girl you're carrying. I'm not _happy family_ material. We should nip this thing in the bud now. Let's just… focus on Turner. You get some rest."

He turned to leave, and Beth reached out to him "Wait!" she cried and then suddenly whimpered as her stomach twinged again. She let out a muffled _oomph _noise and doubled over, swaying slightly, landing heavily back down on the couch again.

Rio turned back, the color draining from his face. "_Elizabeth!", _he cried.

The last thing Beth remembered was looking into his worried brown eyes before everything went black.


	13. Chapter 13

Sorry for delay again... RL gets in the way!

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 13

Beth woke up, feeling drowsy. _What happened? _She thought. _Did I take a nap?_ Suddenly she remembered what had happened and drowsiness gave away to panic and fear. She reached to touch her stomach, fearful of what she might discover. She sighed in relief as she felt her heavy, swollen stomach still there. _But… is she okay?, _she thought, new terror starting to take seed.

She sat up gingerly to get a better look at her surroundings. She was in hospital, that was certain. She looked around for a button to call the nurses and then heard the door go. Rio entered carrying a cup of coffee.

"Elizabeth!" He gasped. He hurriedly set the coffee down on a nearby table and then rushed to her bedside. He looked pale, drawn, worried. His eyes were moist and puffy.

_Has he been _crying?!_, _thought Beth.

"Rio", she said with a croak, "what happened?!"

Rio grasped both her hands and kissed them. "You collapsed and were rushed to hospital. They said your blood pressure was through the roof. You had some contractions… but they stopped it. I'm so glad you're awake" his voice cracking.

Then Beth asked the question she was dreading, "…and the baby?"

Rio's smile melted away the worry on his face "she's fine. She's strong. A fighter. Just like her mama".

Beth stifled a sob, covering her face with her hands.

"Hey, come here" said Rio with a voice soft and full of concern. It only made Beth sob harder as she felt his strong arms hold her shaking body. He held her for a long while, until the worst of the shaking subsided.

Beth heard the door go, it was a nurse. She looked a little awkward and embarrassed at the sight of the embracing couple on the bed.

"Err… Mrs Boland?" she said, cautiously.

Rio sat back and Beth wiped the tears from her face. She cleared her throat and replied "yes" as firmly as she could.

"Your, eh, sister is here with some of your belongings and… your _husband?" _the last word was posed as an awkward question.

The color drained from Beth's face. "Erm, can you stall them for five minutes or so?" she asked cautiously.

The nurse gave her an uncomfortable smile. "of _course", _and then left the room.

Beth turned to look at Rio and wished she had more time with him. But she had to get rid of him. Fast. "Rio…" she began and then faltered.

Rio raised his eyebrows, clearly expecting a dismissal. "You want me to leave" he said, with a wry smile.

"I haven't had a chance to tell Dean yet", Beth replied uneasily. "I don't think now's the time".

Rio nodded. It clearly bothered him, but he didn't want to make waves after the drama they'd just been through. "I'll go. I need to check on the Turner situation anyway." He stood up, looking into her big blue eyes and moved that same errant curl from her face. "Look after yourself, Elizabeth", he said, with an earnest voice. "Keep me in the loop".

Beth reached up and grasped his hand and to Rio's surprise, kissed it. His eyes lit up, just for a moment. "I will do" she replied.

And with that Rio walked to the door, turned around and winked at her "look after our girl" he said. Beth smiled "I will".

Beth could feel her heart racing. He had that affect on her. Moments later there was a knock on the door. It was Dean.

"Beth!" he exclaimed. "I came as soon as I could. Are you okay? Is the baby okay?" he rushed to her bedside and grasped her hands.

Beth smiled "yes, I'm fine. I must have been overdoing it a little. I think the doctor is coming in to speak with me shortly. Don't worry", she said with a smile.

When Rio left Beth's room, he pulled up his hood, narrowly missing Dean who came striding down the hall. Rio turned his back as Dean walked past, pretending to read a poster on the wall. As soon as Dean had entered the room, he made his way down the corridor towards the elevator.

He pressed the button and waited for it to arrive, cautiously checking Dean hadn't come back out again. The doors opened and he came face to face with Annie, carrying a bag of Beth's things. Annie's expression darkened at the sight of Rio, and she reached out and dragged him into the elevator with her.

Rio was initially shocked but thought he'd let it slide. After all, her sister had just been rushed to hospital. "Annie," he said with a grin, "you seem happy to see me".

Annie pressed the close door button and hissed "I oughta slap the gangsta outta you".

"Hey, I'm just the guy that got her to the hospital, you know, _saved her life_, but please, _do_ go on", he said dripping each letter in sarcasm.

The doors opened again, and an old lady stood staring at them, confused.

"Wait your turn, lady!" yelled Annie, and pressed the button to close the doors again.

"While I'm thankful for that" continued Annie, "you're probably the reason she needed the hospital in the _first_ place. And I don't know what your game is, but it will not involve _this_" hissed Annie, shoving a small velvet box at Rio.

Rio looked down at the box in puzzlement, and when he looked up, Annie had stormed off out of the elevator.

The old lady croaked "I'll take the next one".

Rio's face hardened as the elevator doors closed again.

Annie burst into Beth's room. "Hey sis" she said with fake cheeriness. "You know, you'd do just about anything for a little attention" she smiled a brittle smile.

"No", replied Beth, "that would be _you_", smiling and holding her arms out to embrace her.

Annie rushed forward and gave Beth a hug. "Don't do that to me, sis" she said in a hug-muffled voice.

Annie turned to Dean "can you get us some drinks, Deano? I need 5 mins with my sis, here" she smiled brightly, gently pushing Dean towards the door.

"Oh… okay then" replied Dean, clearly feeling a little flustered. Smiling awkwardly.

Once Annie was sure Dean had gone, she sat down on Beth's bed urgently. "What happened?" she said, looking worried.

"I had been feeling twinges all day, luckily Rio was there", replied Beth, in no mood to relay too much of that conversation.

"I just saw him" spat Annie. "Arrogant prick."

"Hey…", began Beth, reproachfully.

"I just don't like the way he waltzes back into our lives and _everything_ gets turned upside-down again!", she interrupted. Annie sat sullenly, seeming to mull something over.

Beth attempted to start talking again but Annie interrupted once more.

"And I can't _believe_ he had the nerve to _propose_ to you like – what – you're gonna _marry him?! _Play _happy families_ or something?! Mr. and Mrs. _Gangsta_?!"

Beth froze. "Wait, what… what do you _mean_ Annie?" she said, slowly.

Annie looked up abruptly. "Don't try and lie to me about this, Beth. I _saw_ the ring!"

"You… you saw the ring, huh?" replied Beth, feeling a pit of dread grow in her stomach.

"Yes!" cried Annie. "Don't you worry though, I took care of it", she said, looking very pleased with herself. "I threw it in his gangsta face".

Beth closed her eyes "oh no", she sighed.

A few miles away Rio was in a gym, pounding a heavy punching bag. A couple of his crew stood in the background, watching cautiously. He punched, grunting in frustration. Sweat dripped down his face, his arms and chest glistened, covered in a light layer of sweat. He suddenly stopped and motioned his trainer to hand him a towel. "Dags, can you get me a drink" he commanded, rather than asked, unlacing his boxing gloves.

Dags shuffled off in search of a drink and came back a few moments later. "Here boss", he said gruffly.

Rio took the glass "thanks". "Now everyone leave", he barked, without looking up. He drank deeply from the glass, staring at the floor. The room emptied quietly and cautiously.

Rio walked over to a nearby table and set the glass down. He took out the small velvet box from his trouser pocket. He hadn't wanted to leave it lying around. He opened it, picked up the engagement ring and looked at it against the light, then put it carefully back in the box, snapping the lid shut. He gazed at the small box, eyes narrowing. Finally he took a deep breath and returned it to his pocket and reached for his glass, draining it. He seemed deceptively calm, but his eyes betrayed him. They were on fire. With a scream he threw the empty glass against the wall.

Another few miles away at Detroit Metro airport a man in his thirties arrived and made his way to the car rental desk. He flashed the young woman there a smile.

"Good evening, sir", she greeted him.

"Good evening" he replied, amicably.

"How can I help?" she asked, customer service oozing from her every pore.

"I'd like to rent a car, for a week. Initially", he added.

"Certainly sir," replied the woman. "We have a special deal currently, if you book a minimum of a week, there's ten percent off our mid-size selection".

"That would be great", he smiled.

"Do you have drivers licence, sir?" she asked politely.

"Sure", he said, spilling his pockets on the desk to reveal his wallet, some gum and a warrant card.

"Oh", she smiled, "FBI, huh? Special Agent…?"

The man smiled, " just call me Noah".


	14. Chapter 14

Apologies - life getting in the way again but I will finish this story I promise!

Chapter 14

Annie was sulking.

After her disastrous visit with Beth and her run in with Rio she was feeling a combination of rage, shame and a healthy dollop of stupid. _I should just have a rule _never_ to open my mouth near Rio_, she thought.

She reached for the tub of ice cream she had been demolishing. She'd offered to speak to Rio to explain but Beth had firmly declined her assistance.

"You'll only make it worse" she had sighed. Annie felt compelled to agree. _Why do I mess everything up?_, she wailed, inwardly. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. _Must be my pizza_, Annie thought, brightening somewhat at the thought of melted cheese.

"Hang on…" she called out, dejectedly. She pulled herself off the couch, pulling her blanket around her and shuffling towards the door. _God I hope it's not a _hot_ delivery guy_, she thought. She felt and looked like a mess. Mascara smeared, bedhead and wearing mismatched pajamas, still somehow clutching her ice cream tub.

She opened the door with the words "that was quick-", and then dropped her ice cream to the floor with a small shriek. "Noah!" She stood and stared at him for what felt like several minutes.

Noah raised his eyebrows at the sight before him, "is now a… bad time?

Annie stood, mouth slightly agape and shook her head as if to ensure she wasn't imagining things.

"Do you want me to come back…?" began Noah

"Shit" muttered Annie and then lunged forward, pulling him into the apartment, narrowly avoiding the ice cream on the floor.

"Okaaaay" said Noah as she slammed the door behind him.

"Noah" said Annie, still looking shocked.

"Annie" replied Noah with a cheeky smile, "it's good to see you".

Annie became suddenly aware of her current state, rocking a hangover meets baglady look. "I'm sorry, I- I didn't know you were coming. I'm a bit of a mess-"

Noah stepped towards Annie and caressed her cheek "you look fine to me", he smiled.

Annie looked up into his gorgeous brown eyes and sighed contentedly. She then grabbed him closer and kissed him passionately, blanket falling to the ground.

Noah returned her kiss, moaning gently as he felt her tongue, cool and sweet from the ice cream. His arms embraced her, bringing her closer to him, his hands moving down towards her lower back.

Annie came up for air and groaned "I missed you", jumping up, legs straddling him. "I missed you too" replied Noah, his voice hoarse with excitement. Annie kissed him again as he walked towards her bedroom with Annie still straddling him. He carried her to the bed and set her down gently, not breaking their kiss.

Annie started unbuckling Noah's pants with enthusiasm as Noah stood up to take off his shirt. Annie stopped her de-panting efforts and looked up at Noah, _Ooooh he's been working out_ she thought, almost salivating at the sight of him. She returned to her task and managed to unbuckle his belt and get his zipper down, greeted by a pleasant and familiar bulge.

"Hey", said Noah with a cheeky grin, "not so fast. How come I'm the only one half naked here?"

Annie grinned and in a swift movement liberated herself from her baggy pajamas. Noah's cheeky grin disappeared as his eyes hungrily took in the sight of Annie's naked body before him. He sighed raggedly and looked deep in her eyes, dark with passion.

Annie reached out and playfully slapped the elastic on his underwear. He grinned at her and whipped them off and crawled onto the bed, kissing Annie all over her naked body.

Annie closed her eyes, her passion threatening to overwhelm her. "Noah?"

"mmmh" came a southward rather muffled reply as he continued to kiss Annie's naked body.

"I think I need to skip the starter and get to the main course".

Noah looked up "really?" he asked. Annie nodded enthusiastically. Noah smiled and moved up to face her and plunged them both into ecstasy.

Beth sat in her hospital bed, feeling anxious. She was still waiting to be allowed to go home. It was her second full day there and she had already had her fill. She stared down at her phone. Rio still hadn't been in touch. It made her anxious.

She tried to compose a message to Rio again. She must have started and deleted a message at least ten times. "Rio", she began, "I need to explain…" she sighed again and pressed the delete button and slammed the phone down, giving it the evil eye. _Why is this so hard?!, _she thought.

"Enough. Stop being so chickenshit", she chided herself. She grabbed the phone and simply wrote: "Rio. We need to talk. Beth". She pressed _send_ triumphantly and felt rather pleased with herself. Short and to the point. At least he couldn't misinterpret it in any way.

She glared down at the phone. "Answer me goddammit" she muttered.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. _Could it be?,_ she thought, her heart beginning to pound like a jackhammer in her breast. "Come in", she called out, trying to keep the butterflies from her voice. The door opened to reveal Dean. "Hey there! Thought I'd come and check on you and the little one."

"Hi Dean", Beth replied, trying to keep the disappointment from her voice. "How nice of you to come and see me".

"Of course!" replied Dean, "I mean. It's you… mother of my children, love of my life and all that jazz…" The room fell silent as he gazed at Beth, longingly.

"Dean…", began Beth.

"Beth", interrupted Dean, "I know that this isn't the time. And I'm not pressing you for an answer. The last thing I want to do is stress you out. But I'm not going to apologize for my feelings. I _do_ love you. That is not gonna change."

Beth took a deep breath. "Dean, there is something I have to tell you. Now might not be the time. But frankly I don't know if there will ever be a _right_ time." Beth paused. Terrified of what Dean's reaction would be. "Rio is back."

Rio sat in his office, draining his third glass of the day. It was only 10am. He was working on drinking through his hangover from the night before. Hair of the dog and all that. The hangover hadn't done anything to improve his mood. He was still livid following his encounter with Annie.

How could he trust Elizabeth again? _How could she _not_ tell me?! _It was clearly an engagement ring. A new one. Upon closer inspection he had noticed the initials "DB + BB". _So fucking tacky_, he thought bitterly.

Suddenly his phone buzzed. A message from Elizabeth. _Fuck her_, he thought, and poured himself another drink and drained it.

He knew that part of the anger he was feeling was directed at himself. He had told her they should be platonic, so how could he complain? Elizabeth was free to make her own choices. But there was something about the thought of Dean playing happy families with Elizabeth and _his kid_ that made his blood boil.

Deep down he knew that feeling anger was a better than the alternative: acknowledging the green-eyed monster within.

The phone buzzed again "fuck off!" he shouted. He just wanted to be left alone. He wasn't ready to speak to Elizabeth yet. He picked up the phone, ready to hurl it across the room when he noticed that it was a message from Turner.

He groaned, rubbing his chin wearily. "No rest for the wicked", he chuckled sardonically and got up, staggering slightly, "time to sober up".


	15. Chapter 15

Again apols for delay... I've had sick kids LOL

* * *

Chapter 15

Rio stood in the shower, face towards the showerhead. The hot water was helping to relieve his hangover.

He was still angry though. He wasn't sure how to stop being angry. He'd been angry his whole life, at the whole world. Angry at the system that oppressed his family, angry at what he had to become to survive the brutality of it all.

But this was new. He kept thinking of Elizabeth's face, he could see her so clearly in his mind. Her big blue eyes, that smile… _That woman drives me fuckin' mad, _he thought. He turned the shower to cold.

A good ten minutes later, Rio finally got out of the shower, feeling vaguely human again. He picked up his phone, tempted to call Elizabeth. _No. Not now. Turner first, _he thought. He pulled on some clothes and walked out the door.

* * *

Beth was getting really agitated. Rio hadn't returned her calls.

Dean had stormed out of the hospital; Annie was nowhere to be found and Ruby was meant to come visit but Harry was sick, so she thought it best to stay away.

Beth was bored and grouchy, but she was stuck there. The doctors wanted to keep her in for a few more nights to monitor her and the baby. She knew she should be grateful that her baby was okay, but she just wanted to get the hell out of there. She missed her kids. Her own bed. She missed Rio too.

She stared down at her phone again. Willing it ring or buzz. Nope. Nothing happening. She sighed and lay down, hoping sleep and oblivion would come.

* * *

Rio sat at the park, nerves frazzled, hangover unrelenting. _Where the fuck is he?_, he thought testily. Suddenly Turner sauntered up: cavalier attitude and newspaper in hand. He sat down and opened his paper theatrically.

Rio snorted derisively, "you been watching old spy movies or somethin'? What's with the newspaper? Every time we meet like this you have a newspaper".

Turner smiled calmly, peering out from behind his paper. "I am just catching up on the news while I catch up with you. It's called _multitasking_. You should try it."

Rio felt on edge. He didn't like how calm and smug Turner was acting. Like he knew something he didn't.

"How's your boy?", Turner continued.

"None of your business, that's how my boy's doing" replied Rio with a hint of danger in his voice. Turner was trying to headfuck him and Rio was having none of it.

"Why don't we move things along and get to why you needed to see me?" Rio stated. His headache was getting worse.

Turner smiled benevolently at him. Rio suppressed an urge to punch him in the throat.

"I hear Boland is currently indisposed", smiled Turner. "This is the opportunity we have been waiting for. This is when we nail her. And you can get your life back, Rio."

Rio wrinkled his brow. "What did you hear?" he asked as calmly as he could manage.

"Oh, don't tell me you didn't know?", replied Turner in a sickly-sweet tone. "She was rushed into hospital. Trouble with the baby apparently. I heard that she will be staying in for at least a few days. So, you have a golden opportunity to gather the evidence I need in her absence."

Rio felt like a simmering rage, which unchecked would soon become volcanic. _This muthafucka wants me to screw Elizabeth over while she is in hospital with _my_ kid?! _

Rio took a deep breath. He knew this had to be a test. Turner was a sociopath who liked to twist the knife, see people suffer; he must know that this was going to put Rio's back up.

_Fuck you Turner_, Rio thought, and put on his best smile. "What do you need?", he asked.

* * *

Dean was feeling miserable. He kept thinking back to the hospital when Beth told him Rio was back. Seeing her face light up as she spoke about him.

He knew he needed to get his shit together. Rio wasn't the real threat here. Turner was. But right now, all he could think of was that thug fucking his wife.

Yes. _His_ wife. She still felt like his wife. He still loved her.

The decision to divorce felt right at the time but as the months had progressed, they seemed to be getting along better. Without Rio in the picture. It was like in the old days. Before everything went wrong. He knew he would never love anyone like he loved Beth. He stifled a sob and reached for the glass filled with a deep amber liquid.

He had managed to get two of the kids to go on sleepovers with friends and the other two were at his mother's. He planned on getting royally drunk and giving his misery free reign. He started on the whisky about 2 in the afternoon and was enjoying a comfortable buzz of self-pity when the doorbell rang.

_Oh fuck_, he thought, hoping it wasn't one of the kids. He didn't want them seeing him in this state.

He tried to arrange his face to appear sober, took a deep breath, attempted a fake smile and then went to open the door. He could not believe his eyes. _Rio. _

"S'up, Dean?" asked Rio, a smile playing on his lips which did not quite reach his eyes.

* * *

Annie was sat at the end of her bed holding a cup of hot coffee in one hand, biting her nails on the other and watching Noah sleep. Her gut was churning.

_What the fuck am I going to do?!_ she thought frantically. _Should I come clean? Tell him about Rio?_ She shook her head as if to shake off the temptation.

_No Beth would kill her. And then Rio would _literally_ kill her_.

She sighed loudly which caused Noah to stir in his sleep. No matter what, Annie felt like she would have to face the music sooner or later. She went through to the kitchen to grab Noah a cup.

Noah woke up as the sweet smell of coffee filled his nostrils. He looked up through bleary eyes and saw Annie setting down a large cup of joe on the bedside table. He closed his eyes again and pretended to sleep.

Annie stared down at him, a mix of happiness and sadness flooded her features. As she turned to walk away, Noah saw his chance. He pulled Annie into an embrace down on the bed as she giggled and shrieked.

As the giggling subsided, Annie looked deep into Noah's eyes. _My god he's beautiful_, she thought. They shared a passionate kiss, with the promise of something more.

Annie could feel herself getting sucked into this perfect illusion of happiness. But it wasn't real. Couldn't be real. Not if there were secrets between them. Annie pulled back, a slight frown on her pretty face.

"What's wrong?" asked Noah, concern coloring his voice.

Annie sighed and sat up. _Where the fuck do I start?!_

"Noah, why did you come?", she asked, tentatively.

Noah sat up, elbows resting on his knees. "Why do _you_ think I came back?" he asked in return.

Annie's mouth opened and closed a few times, unable to speak.

"Annie, I know how we met was…. Shitty. But you have to believe me… I fell for you. _Hard_. I love being close to my kid, work is going okay… but there's something missing." Noah paused, reached his hand out to touch her cheek. "That something is _you". _

Annie took a deep shuddering breath. "Noah… I think I made a mistake… getting back in touch with you again".

Noah withdrew his hand and ran it over his face. "Right", he said, tightlipped, his face looking pale, "I see". He nodded to himself and then got out of bed and started to get dressed.

"You know what, Annie? One of these days maybe you'll need to stop being so fucking afraid of living, you know? Stop pushing people away… and maybe letting yourself love someone – and letting them love you."

Annie sat, still like a statue. Not knowing what to say. Noah walked out of the bedroom and didn't look back. Any second now he'd walk out the door and she'd lose him forever. Maybe that was the right thing to do? She was trouble, she knew it. She didn't want to fuck his life up. But…

"Noah, wait!" she cried.

She heard the door go. Her heart sank. She could feel tears burning in her eyes as she lay on her side in the fetal position.

Suddenly she heard a voice say "jeez, that took you long enough. I almost actually left".

Annie sat up and saw Noah standing in the bedroom doorway, a peculiar smile on his face.

He walked over and sat down on the bed and took Annie's hand in his and kissed it. "Now you gonna tell me what's goin' on in that head of yours?".

* * *

Across town Ruby was busying herself in the kitchen clearing breakfast away and trying to get Sara ready for school. Stan had come in from a long shift and was asleep upstairs whilst Harry was lying on the sofa watching cartoons, recovering from a fever.

"Sara come on now girl, or you will miss the bus!", she called into the living room.

Sara had seemingly been ensnared in the TV's luminescent trap, staring at the cartoons in a world of her own. Ruby rolled her eyes and grabbed Sara's lunchbox, stuffing it into her bag. This would require a physical intervention.

She walked into the living room and gently ushered Sara towards the kitchen, handing her the bag and coat, giving her a hug, and in one smooth movement got the back door open for Sara to leave.

In the Mom Olympics, that move would have been a clear 10 points.

"Bye sweetie, have a good day" she murmured into Sara's hair as she stole one last hug. "Bye, love you mom" came the reply as Sara skipped off down the path.

No sooner had she shut the back door, when a knock came from the front door.

Ruby rolled her eyes, _what did she forget now?! _"The lord is testing me" she sighed and wandered over to the door.

She yanked it open with a sigh, "girl what did you forget now?". Ruby's eyes widened in shock and she gasped audibly, holding onto the door frame for support. It wasn't Sara.

"Good morning, Mrs Hill. Or may I call you Ruby?", smiled Agent Turner. "Is this a bad time? Or can I come in?"


	16. Chapter 16

So here is another chapter. Hope everyone is doing OK out there. Stay safe!

* * *

Chapter 16

Ruby was speechless. The only words that formed in her head were the words _Oh _and _Fuck_.

"Mrs. Hill?" asked Agent Turner again.

Ruby snapped out of her reverie. She needed to get her shit together. "Agent Turner!" she smiled, managing to keep a quiver out of her voice. "What a _nice_ surprise", she continued, channeling her inner Stepford Wife. "I'm sorry I thought it was my daughter, Sara. Please. _Do_ come in".

Agent Turner gave her an appraising look, smiled a little, and stepped through the doorway.

"I'm sorry I have a sick child at home, so I won't be able to talk for long", she smiled, as she beckoned him into the kitchen. "Can I get you a cup of coffee, Agent?"

Turner gave her a smile that didn't reach his eyes and replied, "coffee would be _heaven_, Mrs. Hill".

Ruby gave a flick of her hand and smiled sweetly, "Oh, please. Call me Ruby".

They stood for a moment, smiling pleasantly at each other, like two predators each waiting for the other to make a move.

A few seconds later, Agent Turner broke the silence, "sugar", he said.

Ruby tilted her head "excuse me?"

Turner smiled again, "I take one sugar. You know, in my coffee".

"Of course!" exclaimed Ruby, "sorry I'm not sure where my head is at this morning". She turned to pour the coffee.

"You're probably worried about Beth, aren't you?" suggested Turner, in a tone that made the hairs stand up on the back of Ruby's neck.

Ruby turned around, a faint quizzical look set on her features, masking the terror she was starting to feel. She turned around, and decided she was done playing.

"You keepin' tabs on us, Agent Turner?" she asked, eyebrows raised.

Agent Turner reached out and gently took the cup from Ruby. Ruby wasn't sure if that was a calculated safety precaution on his part.

"Well, let's just say you three are very intriguing, to a guy like me. I always keep up to date with some of my more _interesting_… cases", he smiled, deliberately leaving a large pause to allow Ruby to fill in the gap.

_Suspects_, she thought, _he was going to say _suspects_. _Her spidey-senses were tingling.

"Well I'm flattered", she said with a pale smile. "So, what can I do for you, Agent Turner? Like I said, my son is ill, so I need to make this quick."

Turner blew into his cup, causing the aroma of coffee to flood Ruby's senses. He took a sip and gave Ruby another smile. "I think you know why I'm here", he said.

Ruby tilted her head, trying to remain calm yet a voice inside her head was screaming, _oh shiiiiiiiiiiit. _"I'm sorry, you know mindreading isn't one of my skills", she replied smoothly.

Turner licked his lips, putting Ruby in mind of a snake, poised to strike. He let the silence draw out between them. "Well, I want to talk to you about your _husband_, of course", he finally said with an insufferable grin.

"Stan?" asked Ruby, her voice sounding strange to her ears, almost squeaky. "What about him?" she continued, getting a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Well I hear that he is still in the doghouse after all that business a few months back. I thought I would touch base with you – see how he was doing. He seems like a good cop – I could put a good word in, you know". Turner let the sentence hang in the air as he took another sip of coffee. "If you like…", he concluded, flashing Ruby another disingenuous smile.

Ruby held her breath. She couldn't believe what Turner was suggesting. He wanted her to spill her guts to him to give Stan a career boost. She then considered the other implications of this – a thinly veiled threat.

She opened her mouth to give him a few choice words but was interrupted by Harry. "Momma? I'm thirsty" said the little boy, tugging at her sweater. Ruby looked down and gave Harry a big smile. "Okay honey, I'll fix you something". Harry went back though again, seemingly oblivious to the drama unfolding around him.

This interruption gave her the reprieve she needed. "Agent Turner, I'm sorry but I will have to continue this conversation another time", she smiled, taking the cup from his hands.

Turner raised his brows and looked her up and down. No doubt trying to reassert his dominance over the situation. "Of course," he replied and turned towards the kitchen backdoor.

Ruby could feel herself trying to keep it together, just wanting him to leave. To get the hell out of her house.

Turner grasped the door handle and made to leave. He paused in the doorway, turned around and gave Ruby another smug grin, "oh by the way, you forgot the sugar".

Ruby gave an awkward chuckle, and Turner chuckled too. It was pretty fucking surreal, Ruby thought. Suddenly Turner stopped chuckling, his eyes as cold as steel as he delivered his parting shot, "we'll talk again real soon, Ruby". He closed the door.

Ruby held her breath and counted to ten. _Surely, he had left by now_? She sat down heavily at the kitchen counter. Shuddering breaths, tears forming in her eyes. She sobbed as quietly as she could so as not to wake Stan or alert Harry to her distress.

"Momma?" asked Harry, "can I have some juice pleeeeaase". Ruby took a deep breath and swallowed down all the panic, the tears and the fear. Time to put her Mom face back on. "Yes honey", she replied, "I'm on it".

* * *

Annie and Noah sat on the bed, entwined in an embrace.

"Okay", said Noah patiently. "I like hugs as much as the next guy, but you've been hugging me for the past 10 minutes and still not said a word. Can we please talk?"

Annie sighed. She didn't want to talk. She just wanted to stay like this. Forever. Nothing but trouble followed whenever she opened her mouth. It was better this way.

"Annie? Hello? Earth to Annie?", asked Noah, breaking their embrace and trying to gain eye contact.

"I don't wanna" pouted Annie. She was afraid of what she might say if she started talking. How Noah would react. What Noah might do. What _Rio_ might do.

"Annie…", said Noah softly, kissing her gently. "You know you can tell me _anything_".

"I don't know if I can… tell you this", replied Annie hesitantly.

"Of course you can" said Noah, rubbing her shoulders.

Annie looked up into his gorgeous eyes and sighed. "Just. Just give me a sec", she said. She wanted to take in this moment – the moment before all hell probably broke loose. She wanted to remember Noah looking at her this way.

A minute or two went by. Noah frowned and looked perplexed "are you actually going to say anything… or?"

Annie took a deep breath "Noah… we might be kind of fucked. Turner is after us again".

* * *

Dean stood staring at Rio, in a state of shock.

Rio waited a few seconds to see if Dean would snap out of it. He did not. Rio nodded, realizing he needed to take control of the situation. He sighed and pulled down his hoodie, revealing his face fully.

"Okay Dean, this is what's going to happen. I'm going to come inside your house now, because we need to talk and it ain't smart doing this on your doorstep". He gently pushed his way past Dean and entered his apartment.

He turned around to see Dean still standing at the door, like a statue, staring into the space where Rio had occupied a few seconds earlier.

_Oh man,_ thought Rio, he almost felt sorry for the dude. He walked over and gently pulled Dean back inside and closed the door, standing face to face. Rio took a deep breath and said "Dean". There was no response. Rio tried again, placing his hands on his shoulders "Dean".

Dean finally looked up, as if awoken from a particularly nasty dream. His eyes darkened with rage and fear "you've got some _fucking_ nerve showing up here", he hissed. "You fucking _ruined_ my life, and now – what – you're coming here to _kill me_? Finish me off? Well I can tell you something _hombre_, I ain't going down without a fight!"

Dean swung at Rio and hit him on the chin and Rio's head snapped violently to the side with the force of the punch. Dean yelped as pain shot up through his fist and towards his wrist, "mother_fucker!_" he cried.

Rio felt a burst of pain and disorientation and the taste of blood in his mouth. He took a second to center himself, rubbing his chin. He gave Dean an appraising look. He was almost impressed at this new Dean – he didn't know he had it in him. Rio walked over to Dean's sink and spat out the blood collecting in his mouth and gave his teeth a quick once over. Just a cut.

He turned around to see Dean gripping the hand he just punched Rio with, still turning the air blue with profanity.

"I'm impressed, Dean. Not a bad punch", Rio said rubbing his chin again.

Dean looked up and shouted "What the fuck do you want from me? Haven't you already taken everything? What else can you possibly want with me?!"

"Let's get some ice on that hand, then we'll talk", replied Rio, calmly. He walked over to Dean's freezer and found an ice pack and handed it to Dean. "Sit down". He then turned to pick up the whisky bottle he spotted as he came in, topped up Deans glass and poured one for himself.

Dean eyed him warily as Rio handed him his glass. Rio grabbed a chair, spun it round and sat down, arms resting on the backrest. _How can he look cool just sitting down on a fucking chair?, _thought Dean irritably.

Rio drank deeply from his glass. "Nice scotch", he murmured.

"Thanks", replied Dean, and not quite knowing what to do, took a deep drink from his own glass.

"Dean. We need to talk", sighed Rio. "Elisabeth is in deep shit".


	17. Chapter 17

Sorry for the delay... more will follow!

* * *

Chapter 17

Beth felt miserable. Alone and abandoned. She was lying on her side, caressing her swollen belly, taking some comfort in the little kicks that ensued. "It's just you and me right now, kiddo", she whispered. A wave of sadness threatened to engulf her once she uttered those words. Big fat tears trickled slowly down her cheeks.

Suddenly the door opened, and a nurse entered. Beth sat up awkwardly feeling like a beached whale, turning her face slightly so she could wipe away her tears.

"Mrs. Boland… you have a visitor" said the nurse with an awkward smile. She then exited the room, pausing to smile briefly at the person just out of sight behind the door. Beth cleared her throat and with a croak said, "come in".

A teddy bear appeared playfully at the doorframe. Beth wrinkled her brow, wondering who it could be. _It's_ _Dean_, she thought, feeling a little deflated – and then guilty – because she knew she had hurt his feelings last time they spoke. She arranged her face into a smile and even gave a little chuckle. He could be very sweet, after all.

But to Beth's surprise it wasn't Dean who stepped through the doorway. It was Agent Turner.

* * *

Dean paced the floor in his apartment, still scowling and filled with rage. "Well spit it out then! This is the mother of my children you're talking about!"

Rio calmly took another sip of his scotch. "Sit down", he said in a quiet voice. It sounded calm but had a distinct_ don't fuck with me_ edge to it.

It stopped Dean dead in his tracks. He looked as if he was considering arguing with Rio, but finally decided against it. He sat down opposite Rio and poured himself some more scotch. Silence fell and remained, hanging stubbornly in the air a like heavy raincloud.

Several minutes passed.

"A'ight lemme just say… I have nothing personal against you, Dean", began Rio.

Dean scoffed and looked away.

Rio stared at him, waiting for Dean to speak. Dean could feel Rio's gaze like a tractor beam. He turned to look at him with a sigh. "You beat the fucking shit out of me, man – but hey – it's _nothing personal",_ replied Dean with a sneer. Part of him was shocked he'd spoken to Rio like that. The bitter combination of scotch and rejection was making him feel reckless – cocky even. Or maybe just resigned.

Rio nodded slightly, eyes narrowing. "Yeah. I _did_ beat the shit out of you. That was business though. Nothing personal. We live in – err – what you might say very different worlds, you and me. You threaten my business, I threaten you."

Dean scoffed again and looked down at the table. He felt tired. Depressed. Sick of it all.

Rio interrupted his wallowing with "It's not like I _enjoyed_ it… ya know? Well. Not really, anyway". Rio glanced at Dean with a twinkle in his eye.

"Ha. Ha." said Dean theatrically. "Oh ha ha ha. Very funny. It's hilarious how you _ruined my life_ isn't it, Rio? And now you turn up for what? To torment me? You come here and blurt out that Beth is in danger yet you won't fucking tell me why… "

"I'll get to that", interrupted Rio. "First – you and me – we need to have it out. We need to clear the air".

Dean scoffed again "you mean you want to beat the shit out of me. Again."

Rio looked down at the table, lifted the glass to his lips and drank deeply. "No", he replied. "We need to have a conversation. About this". With that, Rio reached into his pocket and placed Dean's engagement ring on the table.

* * *

Beth felt faint, the sense of panic rising. "Agent Turner" she said as neutrally as possible, with a smile thrown in as an afterthought.

"Mrs. Boland", beamed Agent Turner, "you look positively radiant. Congratulations! I just heard the news."

_You're so full of shit_, thought Beth. "Why, thank you. To what do I owe this… pleasure?", Beth replied, trying not to grit her teeth at that last word.

"Well I was in the neighborhood… I went to see Mrs. Hill. Ruby. About Stanley. And I heard the happy news", replied Turner casually.

Beth tilted her head and narrowed her eyes in response.

"I mean about the pregnancy… not the err… hospital stay, of course!", continued Turner.

_Full. Of. Shit, _thought Beth again. Outwardly she put on a coy smile and said, "well yes, it was a surprise, but a welcome one".

"Dean must be over the _moon_", smiled Turner. The smile did not reach his eyes.

Beth felt taken aback. And Turner noticed. His grin grew larger.

_Fuck you_ thought Beth. "Well… yes", smiled Beth. "I suppose you could say our relationship is a work in progress, but this baby certainly gave us both a lot to think about. He's a great co-parent". Beth felt quite proud of herself. Her entire statement was of course completely true.

Turner returned her smile "well – aren't _all_ relationships? A work in progress, I mean".

Beth felt puzzled. _Where is he going with this?_

"Well, look at our relationship and how it's changed. Evolved. And I think we might see it change yet again", said Turner, carefully placing the teddy bear on the windowsill.

"I'm not sure I follow", said Beth, feeling like her mind was in a pregnancy fog and she might be missing vital clues here.

"Well, we've been both allies and adversaries. But now – and I hope you agree - I'd like to think of you as an ally. I think I mentioned I'd been to see Mrs. Hill. It's just terrible that poor Stanley has suffered so because of our – earlier misunderstandings".

Beth didn't know what to say, so she just nodded, all the while her brain was furiously trying to think of what to say.

"May I?", asked Turner, gesturing towards a chair.

Beth nodded again, feeling dismayed that this visit warranted him sitting down and getting comfortable.

Turner sat back, looking very pleased with himself. Then he leant forward and said in a low voice "I know you've been seeing Rio. He seems to have a certain knack for worming his way back into your life, doesn't he, Mrs. Boland?"

Beth stifled a gasp. _Now what do I do?, _she thought. _Lie_ came the answer. "He has… shown up a few times. I wasn't sure what to do. It came as a surprise seen as I'd been informed that he had been _killed_", she said as smoothly as she could, giving Turner a hard stare.

"By _you_, if I remember correctly", Turner interjected, gesturing towards Beth.

Beth looked at Turner, wishing that looks could kill. "Yes", she replied, trying to maintain her composure. "We talked about it, and we've worked through it. We parted ways as friends. Initially he assumed that the baby was his, so… I had to put him straight on that, of course".

"Of course," agreed Turner. "But – forgive me – I'm finding it hard to believe a guy like Rio would just forgive you and move on. In your condition I would be careful. It would not surprise me if he was working on something – somehow to make you pay for what you did."

"What I _did_ was _save your life_!", hissed Beth. She could hear her heart monitor betraying her inner rage, increasing in frequency, the beeping getting faster and faster.

"Of course," said Turner soothingly, holding his hands out in a placating fashion, "and I am eternally grateful for that. Which is why I have come to warn you. Rio started working for me as an informant once he recovered. I couldn't tell you he was still alive for obvious reasons. But lately… he has become more… unhinged. More… like the old Rio. And he is obsessed with you – about making you pay for what you did to him. And like you said, he does seem to think that this baby is _his_. I think he's just biding his time until you give birth… to maybe take the child and get his revenge. This is why I am here. I think we need to work together again. For you _and_ your baby."

Beth sat and stared open-mouthed. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. She felt confused. Scared. Angry. _This fucker knows exactly how to push my buttons_, she thought.

Suddenly the door opened, and the nurse came in wearing a concerned frown. "Mrs. Boland, your blood pressure and pulse is through the roof! she said casting a scowl towards Turner's direction. "I must insist that you rest now – visiting time is over".

Turner gave the nurse an apologetic smile and then turned to Beth again, "of course, I must let you rest. You must look after yourself… and your little one." He stood up and made his way swiftly out of the room.

When Beth was sure he had left she shuddered and sobbed like a child, the nurse stroking her head in an attempt to soothe her. She was too upset to see her phone light up with Dean's number calling.

* * *

Meanwhile, Annie entered the hospital with a bag of grapes, wearing sunglasses and a hat, looking round suspiciously. She paused and gestured with her hand, beckoning someone to follow. Noah sauntered up, stood beside her and sighed, "is all this necessary? You know you are actually drawing _more_ attention to yourself right now".

Annie shushed him "Turner could have people watching the hospital, you know".

Noah sighed, gazing off in the distance, and then suddenly froze. "Or… ", he began, "he could just turn up here himself". Noah looked on as Turner exited the elevator and appeared to be heading straight towards them.

"Wha..?" hissed Annie, but quick as a flash Noah pushed her towards the giftshop, so they had their backs to Turner, both of them suddenly developing an intense interest in the price of balloons.

"What is he doing here?!" hissed Annie. Noah frowned and looked lost in his thoughts. At first, he thought Annie had just been acting paranoid… but Turner being here… something didn't feel right. In fact, it felt all wrong.


End file.
